Hundreds of students and young activists gathered under heavy police presence, banging steel plates and spoons while carrying placards criticizing the government’s handling of public examinations. Security forces deployed additional personnel, surveillance cameras and drones to monitor the demonstration.

The protest centered on the alleged leak of question papers for a nationwide medical entrance examination last month through the messaging platform Telegram. Authorities subsequently postponed the examination, temporarily blocked access to Telegram in India and launched an investigation. The exam has been rescheduled for Sunday.

The utensil-banging demonstration appeared to mock Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2020 appeal for Indians to applaud frontline health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic by striking pots and pans from balconies and rooftops.

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party and a political communications strategist studying at Boston University, urged supporters through social media to bring plates and spoons to the protest. Addressing the gathering, Dipke called for Pradhan’s resignation and said the movement was willing to engage in dialogue with the government if the minister stepped down.

“This is just the beginning,” protester Deepak Kumar said. “If Dharmendra Pradhan doesn’t resign or if no action is taken regarding this issue, this protest will not end here.”

Students at the demonstration expressed frustration over recurring allegations of examination leaks and concerns about fairness in competitive recruitment and admission processes.

“We study in poverty, live in poverty for years, and after that our exam papers get leaked,” said student Vicky Kumar. “Will I not get angry at this?”

The Cockroach Janta Party emerged in May after comments by Supreme Court Judge Surya Kant comparing some unemployed young people to “cockroaches” sparked criticism online. Supporters adopted the term as a symbol of resilience and transformed it into a political movement that has gained significant traction on social media.

According to organizers, the movement has attracted more than 22 million followers on Instagram. Initially focused on youth unemployment, it has broadened its agenda to include concerns about rising living costs, governance and public accountability.

The movement’s rapid growth reflects mounting frustration among sections of India’s youth over employment opportunities and institutional transparency. Its blend of satire, internet culture and political messaging has helped it gain visibility, particularly among younger voters and students.

The government has said the examination leak is under investigation. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has not publicly responded to Saturday’s protest.

The government-directed suspension took effect on Tuesday and is scheduled to remain in force until June 22. Authorities said the measure was intended to prevent the circulation of leaked examination material and curb malpractice among candidates seeking admission to medical colleges.

According to the report, Telegram has approached the court seeking relief from the temporary restrictions, arguing against the government’s action. Details of the petition and the grounds on which it was filed were not immediately available.

Telegram did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The dispute comes amid heightened scrutiny of examination security in India following allegations of widespread irregularities in competitive entrance tests.

Last month, the Indian government canceled a major undergraduate medical entrance examination after investigators began probing claims that question papers had been leaked before the test. The controversy triggered public concern over the integrity of one of the country’s most important academic selection processes.

The temporary restriction on Telegram reflects growing efforts by authorities to prevent digital platforms from being used to disseminate examination materials illegally. Messaging applications have increasingly come under regulatory attention in India as officials seek to combat online fraud, misinformation and unlawful content distribution.

The outcome of Telegram’s legal challenge could be closely watched by technology companies, legal experts and policymakers, as it may influence the balance between government enforcement measures and the operation of digital communication platforms in India.

The court has not yet publicly announced a timeline for hearing the matter.

The three-day event, organized by the Space Industry Association of India, brought together around 600 participants from more than 20 countries and is among the region’s largest space sector gatherings.

Discussions at the congress cover satellite communications, direct-to-device connectivity, Earth observation, geospatial intelligence, launch systems, in-orbit services, navigation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, space sustainability and manufacturing.

Industry representatives said the event aims to strengthen collaboration between government, private companies and international partners as India develops its space capabilities.The congress also highlights the growing role of private companies after India opened the space sector to wider private participation in 2020, allowing firms to build and operate satellites and provide launch services.

Space Industry Association representatives said the changing environment has allowed private companies to move beyond traditional supplier roles and become independent participants in the sector.

India’s space economy is aiming to expand to $44 billion by 2033, with startups increasingly contributing to satellite technology, communications and space-based services.Participants said the event provides startups with opportunities to connect with investors, partners and the wider space ecosystem.

Companies including VyomIC, which is developing a private low-Earth orbit positioning, navigation and timing satellite constellation, said the congress helps build cooperation within the industry.Other startups such as ULOOK, focused on space-based radio-frequency intelligence, said the platform allows them to showcase technology and establish new partnerships.

The congress is also being used to explore international cooperation, including potential collaborations with countries in the Middle East in satellite manufacturing, launches and space education.

Aditya Sharma, a cadet, Shivanand Chaurashiya, a fitter, and Patnala Suresh, a chief engineer, were killed aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello after a US aircraft fired at the tanker’s engine room last week, according to the Forward Seamen’s Union of India.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs summoned the US envoy in New Delhi to register a protest, but the US Department of State said Secretary of State Marco Rubio told India’s foreign minister that commercial vessels must comply with US military orders and that violations of the American blockade around the Strait of Hormuz would not be accepted.

The statement triggered criticism from Indian opposition lawmakers, who said Washington had failed to acknowledge the loss of Indian lives.

Rahul Gandhi, leader of India’s opposition, said there was no expression of regret or apology following the deaths. Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor also criticised the US response, calling the absence of condolences over the deaths of Indian sailors deeply concerning.

The Forward Seamen’s Union of India said a fourth sailor, second officer Nishanth Uirthanathan, died from medical complications aboard the MT Celestial off Oman after the vessel was unable to reach medical facilities.

The union said many Indian sailors remained stranded in the region because of restrictions linked to the US blockade. Manoj Yadav, the union’s secretary-general, said some vessels faced shortages of food, drinking water and medical supplies.

The incidents occurred amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran around the Strait of Hormuz, where thousands of Indian nationals work aboard commercial ships.

US Central Command said the vessels involved had failed to comply with instructions from American forces, while the manager of MT Settebello rejected the claim, saying there had been no communication before the strike.

The union said three commercial vessels carrying Indian crew were attacked by US forces during the previous week, increasing concerns over maritime safety in the region.

The ministry said it summoned US Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Meeks to lodge “a strong protest” over what it called continuing attacks by US naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian mariners.The attacks had resulted in the “tragic and avoidable loss of three Indian lives,” the ministry said in a statement.

Meeks was first summoned on Wednesday after a US strike hit the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman, killing three Indian crew members.The incident followed a June 8 strike on another Palau-flagged tanker, MT Marivex, from which Omani authorities rescued 24 Indian sailors.

On Thursday, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker was also hit in a US strike, according to Indian officials. New Delhi said the vessel’s crew, including 20 Indian sailors, were rescued.A US State Department official said Washington was in direct contact with the Indian government regarding the matter.

India is among the world’s largest sources of merchant seafarers, with more than 320,000 active sailors in 2025, according to the country’s shipping ministry.The shipping ministry has advised Indian sailors operating on Indian and foreign-flagged vessels travelling through conflict-affected waters to exercise the highest degree of caution.

“The continuing attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said, adding that such attacks must stop.India’s navy said on Thursday it had conducted a high-risk operation to remove an unexploded missile warhead from the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Olympic Life after it was struck off Oman on May 26.The vessel later reached India’s southern port of Kochi safely.

The navy said the projectile had entered the hull, passed through several structural compartments and became lodged inside a fuel tank.Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz have faced disruption since Iran restricted maritime traffic after attacks by the United States and Israel began on February 28. The United States has also imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The milestone comes nearly 12 years after Modi first took office on May 26, 2014. According to government figures, his uninterrupted tenure has now exceeded Nehru’s 4,398-day period as an elected prime minister, calculated from India’s first general election in 1952.

“Public service is the greatest measure of good governance,” Modi wrote on social media, adding that public trust is earned through humility, dedication and a sense of duty.

The achievement follows Modi’s return to power for a third consecutive term in 2024, making him only the second Indian leader after Nehru to secure three successive electoral mandates. His leadership has further entrenched the dominance of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance in Indian politics.

During Modi’s tenure, India’s economy expanded to approximately $4.19 trillion, becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy by nominal gross domestic product and overtaking Japan. His government has also highlighted large-scale infrastructure expansion, welfare programs and trade agreements with partners including the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Government officials credit Modi’s administration with major social development initiatives, including the construction of about 120 million household toilets, the provision of 157 million tap-water connections and the expansion of clean cooking gas access to more than 100 million beneficiaries.

Kanchan Gupta, a senior adviser at India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, described the milestone as a reflection of Modi’s role in encouraging ambitious national development goals and delivering large-scale public welfare programs.

Analysts, however, note that Modi’s record in office has also attracted criticism. Journalist and author Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay said economic growth has coincided with concerns over widening wealth inequality and what critics describe as increasing concentration of economic power.

Mukhopadhyay also pointed to concerns raised by democracy watchdogs and political observers regarding the state of democratic institutions and growing political polarization during Modi’s years in office.

Modi has frequently faced criticism from opponents and rights groups over allegations that his Hindu nationalist agenda has weakened India’s secular traditions and contributed to rising religious polarization, particularly affecting the country’s Muslim minority. His supporters reject those accusations and argue that his policies have accelerated development, improved governance and expanded access to basic services.

The movement, founded by political communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke, has attracted more than 22 million followers in less than a month and gained traction among young Indians frustrated by job shortages and repeated controversies surrounding competitive examinations.

Hundreds gathered at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site, many wearing cockroach masks and carrying books, to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over recurring exam paper leaks that protesters say have undermined opportunities for students.

The movement emerged after Chief Justice Surya Kant compared critics and some unemployed youth to cockroaches during a court hearing in May. Although the judge later said his remarks had been taken out of context, activists adopted the term as a symbol of protest.

Participants said the demonstration reflected wider concerns over youth unemployment, governance and educational reforms. According to a recent State of Working India report by Azim Premji University, 67 percent of unemployed Indians aged 20 to 29 are graduates, up from 32 percent in 2004.

Supporters described the protest as the beginning of a broader youth-led campaign that could expand beyond education issues to address other social and economic concerns.

Police maintained a heavy presence around the protest venue, while organizers urged participants to keep the movement peaceful and focused on accountability and reform.

Police said hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj was taken into custody late Wednesday, hours after the blaze engulfed the Flourish Stay hotel in the capital’s Malviya Nagar area.

Authorities said at least 21 people died in the fire, including several foreign nationals. Two victims have been identified as citizens of Liberia and Mozambique.

Witnesses said some trapped guests jumped from upper floors onto mattresses placed below as flames spread through the building. Several survivors were hospitalized with severe burns and injuries sustained while escaping.

The incident has renewed concerns over fire safety standards in India, where deadly building fires are frequently linked to inadequate safety measures and poor enforcement of regulations.

In a separate incident on Thursday, four people were killed in a fire that broke out in an intensive care unit at a hospital in Muzaffarpur, in the eastern state of Bihar, local officials said.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told a press briefing in Islamabad that the projects demonstrated an effort by New Delhi to use water resources as a strategic tool, warning that any move endangering Pakistan’s water security would be met with measures to protect national interests.

“These projects confirm that India seems to weaponize water,” Andrabi said, adding that the initiatives carried serious implications for Pakistan’s economy, regional peace and international security.

The dispute centers on two Indian projects linked to the Chenab River, one of the western rivers allocated to Pakistan under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. Islamabad says India failed to consult Pakistan before proceeding with the developments.

In May, India’s state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation issued a tender for a proposed tunnel project designed to transfer water from the Chenab River to the Beas basin. Earlier this year, India’s power ministry also announced sediment-removal work at the Salal Power Station on the Chenab, stating that the activity followed New Delhi’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

India maintains that it is acting within its rights regarding waters under its control. New Delhi has also insisted that its decision to place the treaty in abeyance remains effective despite objections from Pakistan.

The water-sharing agreement, brokered in 1960, has long been regarded as one of the few enduring frameworks of cooperation between the two rivals, surviving multiple wars and periods of severe political tension.

Pakistan argues that the treaty remains legally binding and has repeatedly rejected India’s suspension of the accord. Andrabi said there was no provision allowing either country to unilaterally withdraw from the agreement.

“Any illegal measure to endanger Pakistan’s water, food and economic security as well as the survival and wellbeing of its 250 million people is unacceptable,” he said.

He added that Pakistan would retain all available options to safeguard its rights under the treaty, though he did not specify what actions Islamabad might pursue.

The disagreement has intensified since India suspended its participation in the treaty following an April 2025 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for supporting the attack, an allegation Pakistan denied.

The diplomatic fallout contributed to a sharp military escalation in May 2025, when the two countries exchanged drone, missile and artillery fire, leaving nearly 70 people dead on both sides.

The treaty dispute has also reached international arbitration. Pakistan welcomed a May 15 ruling by a Hague-based arbitration body that it said reinforced the treaty’s continued validity. India rejected the decision, describing the tribunal as illegally constituted and reiterating that its suspension of the agreement remained in force.

Analysts have increasingly warned that water management could become a major source of friction in South Asia as climate change, population growth and agricultural demand place mounting pressure on shared river systems.

The building housed a restaurant on the ground floor and a hotel above. Firefighters deployed eight fire engines to contain the blaze and rescued more than 40 people, who were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Authorities said the cause of the fire was not immediately known and an investigation is underway.

Television images showed thick smoke engulfing the building as trapped occupants called for help from windows. Local residents joined emergency crews in rescue efforts, helping evacuate people and carry the injured to safety.

Local media reported that some of those killed were foreign nationals who had traveled to India for medical treatment and were staying in nearby accommodations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the victims’ families and announced financial assistance of 200,000 rupees ($2,088) for the families of those killed.

The incident is the latest in a series of deadly fires in India, where safety violations and poor enforcement of building regulations remain a recurring concern.