India: Cockroaches end protest after education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns
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India's Cockroach movement says it is ending its protests following talks with the government. That's hours after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation. Follow DW.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HjTt Education Minister Pradhan's resignation was met with celebrations Image: Adnan Abidi/REUTERS Advertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns Cockroach movement ends protest in 'good faith' after talks with government Cockroach Janta Party Founder Abhijeet Dipke says diagnosed with typhoid Opposition leaders laud GenZ for 'victory' over Modi government Here's a roundup of the biggest headlines from India on Saturday, July 25:
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07/25/2026 July 25, 2026 India trounce Zimbabwe in 2nd T20, sealing 3-game series Ishan Kishan led the charge with the bat, knocking a rapid 81 for the visitors in Harare Image: Wonder Mashura/AP Photo/picture alliance In other news, the Indian cricket team dismantled Zimbabwe 's batting order in Saturday's T20 in Harare, claiming a comfortable victory.
India skittled Zimbabwe for a meager 129 runs before the 20 overs elapsed, with Abhishek Sharma claiming 3 wickets for 17 runs — making amends after scoring a disappointing 8 runs with the bat by unpacking his left arm orthodox spin bowling.
The hosts therefore fell well short of the Indian target of 219.
Ishan Kishan was the top scorer with the bat, racking up 81 off 44 deliveries.
Tilak Varma also impressed, hitting an unbeaten 60 off just 29 balls toward the end of the innings. Teenage opening sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi raced to 20 off just 9 balls but fell to a catch by Blessing Muzarabani early in the innings.
India now lead the three-game T20 series 2-0.
The last T20 game will be played on Sunday, followed by a three-game series of One Day Internationals.
07/25/2026 July 25, 2026 BJP veteran Pralhad Joshi named replacement education minister Pralhad Joshi already has ministerial duties concerning consumer protection and renewable energies, but will now step in as education minister as well [File: October 28, 2025] Image: Ishant Chauhan/Hindustan Times/Sipa USA/picture alliance India's president's office has announced a replacement education minister following Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation on Saturday.
A press release from the president's Rashtrapati Bhavan residence said that Pralhad Joshi would be taking over the role.
"The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution of India," the communique read .
"Further, as advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Shri Pralhad Joshi, Cabinet Minister, be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Education, in addition to his existing portfolio," it continued.
This could leave 63-year-old BJP veteran Joshi — a five-term member of the Lok Sabha parliament and Hindu nationalist known for his activism on the disputed region of Kashmir in his younger days — with his hands rather full.
He was already India's minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution — and for new and renewable energy — prior to taking on a third and more senior portfolio as of Saturday.
07/25/2026 July 25, 2026 WATCH: Education minister concedes to 'Cockroach' demands, resigns Anthony Howard India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned after nationwide youth-led protests over alleged irregularities in major exams.
Demonstrators organised by the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanded education reforms, compensation for affected students and the withdrawal of cases against protesters.
After renewed talks, the government accepted the group’s demands, prompting CJP to end the demonstrations. The protests became one of the most significant challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration since his 2024 re-election.
Education minister concedes to 'Cockroach' demands, resigns To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
07/25/2026 July 25, 2026 UNESCO adds Buddhist holy site Sarnath to World Heritage list The Dhamek Stupa, in the background of this photo, marks the location where the Buddha is said to have given his first sermon Image: Reinhard Marscha/imageBROKER/picture alliance The ancient site of Sarnath, one of the eight holiest places of pilgrimage for Buddhists, has been added to UNESCO's World Heritage list.
The ancient site, said to be the location of the Buddha's first sermon to his disciples after achieving enlightenment, becomes India's 45th World Heritage Site.
"For more than 2,500 years, Sarnath has been a place of pilgrimage and inspiration for Buddhists around the world. It is here that the Buddha delivered his first sermon, sharing teachings of compassion, wisdom and peace that continue to resonate today," Tim Curtis, the director of UNESCO's regional office for South Asia, said in a statement .
"Its temples, stupas, and monasteries bear witness to centuries of faith, devotion, and shared human heritage. Safeguarding this exceptional site is our collective responsibility for present and future generations," Curtis said.
Sarnath is located in Varanasi, one of the world's oldest inhabited cities, in Uttar Pradesh.
Two protected archaeological sites — the Chaucandi Stupa and the Archaeological Remains of Sarnath, which include the Dhamek Stupe and the Darmarajika Stupa — make up a historic landscape widely known as Deer Park.
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee is holding its 48th annual session in Busan in South Korea this week, making decisions on various new candidates for inclusion in its World…
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