Thousands of youth gathered in New Delhi on Monday in an attempt to march to Parliament to protest the worsening education crisis in India.
The protests, which have been going on for the past month, are now seen gaining momentum and becoming a new political challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
The protest movement, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), is demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, following allegations of exam paper leaks.
Organizers also said that the government has contacted them to hold talks, which could potentially be the first official meeting between the two sides.
As the Parliament session began, Modi did not directly address the protests. Instead, he highlighted the success of India's private space company, Skyroot Aerospace, which successfully launched a rocket into orbit, while praising the great potential of the country's young people.
At the protest site, protesters continued to voice their dissatisfaction with the government. Local media footage showed police dispersing some of the participants, but Delhi Police denied using force.
At the same time, internet services in several areas of New Delhi were also temporarily suspended on government orders.
Political analysts believe the government needs to take the concerns of young people seriously as education issues are increasingly gaining public attention.
The protest also coincided with a parliamentary session that is expected to see heated debate on the proposal to increase the number of seats in the House of Representatives, thus increasing political pressure on the Modi administration.
