Opinion PM Modi’s promise, Sonam Wangchuk’s climbdown, open space for way forward

That Sonam Wangchuk has ended his 26-day hunger strike is enormously welcome. So is the Centre’s decision, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s imprimatur, to institute fast-track courts and bring a tougher law against those who compromise the integrity of the public examination system. These steps create space for engagement on the concerns raised by Wangchuk, the CJP and the young protesters. Their campaign has given voice to a crisis of confidence in an examination system dogged by paper leaks, cheating syndicates, and administrative failures. Wangchuk and the CJP have succeeded in placing a systemic crisis on the public agenda, prodded the Centre to respond, rallied the Opposition to their side. Now, a longer battle begins, which will not stop at examination reforms. It must go beyond them, to explore more structural transformations in the education and skilling system. These will need political will, resources, hard spadework — not orders by fiat.

Much-needed conversations towards repair and renewal will need to begin and the government must decide: Will it move ahead with Dharmendra Pradhan as its Education Minister? The leak of the NEET exam papers, which became the trigger for the protests, happened on his watch. So did the last one in 2024. The CJP and the Opposition have made his exit a key demand — going ahead, both the accountability agenda and the reform agenda call for someone who inspires trust. Much work lies ahead, which will need negotiations at multiple levels, and for which the government will need to show humility and openness, not just crisis management skills. Most importantly, the road to enduring reform will have to pass through Parliament. The movement mounted by the restive and energetic young has played a seminal role in making the government see the crisis staring the country in the face. It is time now for the people’s elected representatives to play their role in hammering out the shape of change.

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Dedicated judicial mechanisms could become an important part of the broader accountability framework. As an investigation by this paper has shown, trials in paper leak cases have progressed at a snail’s pace after charges were framed. The challenge lies in ensuring that investigations are swift and interventions are made before irregularities surface. The recurring exam fiascos also expose deeper structural flaws that criminal law cannot address. India’s examination ecosystem is unforgiving. For millions of young people, years of schooling, coaching, emotional investment and family savings often culminate in a single examination that determines admission to a prestigious institution or entry into a secure government job. India’s young need a more spacious system, with institutions that help them spread their wings and pursue opportunities, while functioning transparently. Forging such a system will require patient discussions with stakeholders — students, teachers, education experts and people’s representatives. Over the past days and weeks, the young have made it possible for that process to begin, they have set the stage.