Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Second round of talks between Cockroach movement and Indian government scheduled
- Police tighten security as crowds expected to swell over weekend
- Cockroach Janta Party Founder Abhijeet Dipke says diagnosed with typhoid
Here’s a roundup of the biggest headlines from India on Saturday, July 25:
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Skip next section CJP calls for nationwide candle march on Sunday07/25/2026July 25, 2026
CJP calls for nationwide candle march on Sunday
The Cockroach movement has called for a nationwide candle march on Sunday evening, as it looks to keep up the pressure on the Narendra Modi government.
“One person, one candle. For every student the government failed. March together in silence,” the poster said.
That is despite ongoing talks between the movement’s spokespeople and the government. CJP leaders and protesters on the ground have said that they will keep taking to the streets until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.
Critics of the movement have pointed out that the government has arrested several reported to be involved in the paper leak scandal. Moreover, paper leaks have long happened in India even under previous governments. A common arguments is that removing a minister would not make a difference.
Countering this, protesters and their supporters have said that as education minister, the buck stops with Pradhan. CJP leaders have repeated that the minister must take accountability for the leak, which reportedly pushed at least 20 students to suicide.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HjoFSkip next section PM Modi ‘thanks friends’ in another late night video07/25/2026July 25, 2026
PM Modi ‘thanks friends’ in another late night video
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi uploaded yet another reel overnight — this time thanking “friends” for their suggestions over a Gen-Z style video posted late the night before.
“I had a chance to meet you all late last night. The response to the video I posted, the insightful suggestions… thank you everybody,” he said in the latest video.
In the previous reel, the prime minister had appealed to the nation that the government had taken several steps to counter the paper leak issue. It was one of his lesser-produced videos shot in a less-than ideal angle, seemingly in an attempt to connect with the youth.
Many protesters on ground read the video as a “desperate attempt” to manage the students’ anger as protests began to spread nationwide. “He suddenly woke up and posted a panic reel because they didn’t expect the protests to reach this stage,” one protesters told DW, asking to stay anonymous over fear of backlash.
Meanwhile, social media did what it does best and made memes.
The Prime Minister appears to have acknowledged that he is watching and learning.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Hjo3Skip next section IN PICTURES: Overnight scenes from the protest at Jantar Mantar07/25/2026July 25, 2026
IN PICTURES: Overnight scenes from the protest at Jantar Mantar
https://p.dw.com/p/5HjkQSkip next section CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke diagnosed with typhoid07/25/2026July 25, 2026
CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke diagnosed with typhoid
Political pressure group Cockroack Janta Party’s leader and Founder Abhijeet Dipke has been diagnosed with typhoid, he said in the early hours of Saturday in a post on X.
“I have been diagnosed with typhoid. My treatment is on, I am being administered IV [fluids] day and night,” Dipke said, holding up his hand to show the catheter set up.
“But I really want to thank the cockroaches which have been protesting peacefully across the nation and have made this movement so successful. A big, big thankyou to all and congratulation to you all for such a big,big success. And I am very sure if we continue protesting peacefully, Dharmendra Pradhan will have to resign,” he said, speaking of the education minister.
Dipke and several protesters have been camping at the Jantar Mantar protest site since over a month now.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HjiHSkip next section WATCH: Delhi police crack down on student protests07/25/2026July 25, 2026
WATCH: Delhi police crack down on student protests
There have been accusations of police brutality in New Delhi after police used tear gas and batons against anti-government protesters from the “Cockroach” movement.
The mood among protesters is rather tense, DW correspondent Adil Bhat reports. People gather in large numbers, chant slogans and demand the resignation of India’s education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan.
The current protest movement is not tied to any ideology, he adds: “it will continue even if there is no leadership.”
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https://p.dw.com/p/5HjetSkip next section Government-CJP second round of talks set for Saturday evening07/25/2026July 25, 2026
Government-CJP second round of talks set for Saturday evening
Cockroach Janta Partyspokesperson and Indian government respresentatives are set to meet for the second round of talks on Saturday evening, after first round of talks on Friday did not lead to a breakthrough.
This comes amid youth-led nationwide protests in India against a struggling education system and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, after a national medical enterance exam’s question papers leaked in May.
The leak affected millions of medical aspirants and is believed to have led to several students committing suicide.
“They had given us the time for 3:30-4:00 p.m. (1000 GMT-1030 GMT) today. The location has not been finalised yet,” CJP National Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka told news agency ANI.
“Discussions are very clear. We should get written confirmation for the two demands on which there has been in-principle agreement. So that they can be closed. We need clarity over Dharmendra Pradhan — whether they will seek his resignation or not. We want an answer in Yes or No because there is not much scope for deliberation over this,” he said.
On Friday, CJP’s chief spokesperson Saurav Das and Ranka met Union Ministers Jagat Prakash Nadda and Jitender Singh at “neutral ground.”
The ministers were presented CJP’s three core demands: Pradhan’s resignation, monetary compensation for the families of the students who committed suicide and no legal action against peaceful protesters.
The ministers reportedly sought a day’s time to respond on the resignation demand and agreed to the other two.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HjepSkip next section Welcome to our coverage07/25/2026July 25, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Kieran Burke Editor | Mahima Kapoor
Hello and welcome to DW’s India blog.
This is Mahima Kapoor reporting from the New Delhi bureau and I will be your guide through the massive student-led protests which began in the capital and are now spreading across the nation.
This is a high stakes weekend. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is set to hold a second round of talks with Cockroack Janta Party spokespeople on Saturday evening.
Remember, yesterday government representatives had asked for a day’s time to respond on the movement’s central demand — the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Protesters in central Delhi continue to show up in large numbers which are expected to grow even more into the weekend.
Meanwhile, Modi’s cabinet approved amendments to a paper leak legislation with stricter punishments and fines for those convicted. The bill could be introduced in the Indian Parliament as soon as Monday.
Tune in for all of this and more.
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