Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for setting up a foolproof public examination system in the country on Tuesday, a day after supporters of the youth-led "cockroach" movement and police clashed as they marched on parliament to protest against question paper leaks.
The comments by Modi, reported by a cabinet minister, were his first on the subject since the leaking of question papers for a national entrance test to medical school in May, the anger over which has become the biggest challenge for the prime minister in his third term.
Modi told lawmakers of his ruling alliance that the government took immediate action on receiving reports of exam irregularities and 13 individuals were arrested and jailed, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said.
Modi also said a re-examination was successfully conducted and there was no delay in declaring their results, Rijiju added.
"The prime minister said...that to ensure the future of youth is not jeopardised...everyone should unite to ensure strict steps are taken, those guilty punished, and a foolproof system is created," Rijiju said.
Modi's comments came as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement said it would continue its anti-government protest but will not march on parliament as it feared its supporters would be beaten by police again.
Thousands of youngsters marched on parliament on Monday demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the leaks that affected more than 2 million students and led to some committing suicide.
Delhi Police said nearly 180 people, including 118 security and police personnel and 60 protesters, were injured on Monday when they clashed in central Delhi.
The founder of the self-named Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said more than 150 protesters were undergoing treatment in hospital.
Reuters could not independently verify the numbers of injured in Monday's clashes, in which police beat protesters with batons and fired tear gas rounds to push them back.
Examination paper leaks are a recurring, large-scale problem in India that has affected both recruitment and admission tests.
The most recent leak reported in May was the NEET-UG 2026 medical entrance exam paper leak. The exam, held on 3 May, was later cancelled after investigators found that questions similar to the test had circulated beforehand.
Following that leak, thousands of protesters from Delhi and nearby cities and towns gathered to march on parliament on Monday, joining a movement by the self-named Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Months-old movement has drawn the support of millions of young, Gen Z Indians who are demanding accountability from the education system.
Police said late on Monday that 70 protesters had been detained and legal action would be initiated against them.
By early Tuesday, around 500 protesters had gathered at the protest site of Jantar Mantar in central Delhi, chanting slogans amid a mild drizzle. Security remained tight with paramilitary personnel patrolling parts of central Delhi and barricades slowing traffic.
"They beat us black and blue and they damaged our protest site," Sahil Singh, a protester from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh told Reuters. "We want accountability to be set with Pradhan's resignation."
"We had to call off the protest yesterday because we did not want more youth to be injured," CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told a press conference.
"We will not march again because the police will hurt the youth again," he said, adding that more than 150 protesters were undergoing treatment in hospital.
According to CJP, Health Minister J.P. Nadda sought time to discuss their demands within the government after a meeting with two leaders on Monday. The demands include the release of Wangchuk (support activist), Pradhan's resignation and compensation of 10 million rupees ($104,000) for each student who died by suicide following the leak. About a dozen students took their own lives after the exam paper leak, local media reported.
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