Most Indians unhappy with Modi government over exam scandals, survey finds

Most Indians are unhappy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over its handling of exam scandals that touched off student protests across the country, according to a nationwide survey by one of the country’s largest pollsters.

Just over half of Indian adults polled by CVoter last week said they were “not happy” with the government’s handling of recent leaks of the country’s medical exam, which resulted in the invalidation of tests for millions of exam-takers, the polling firm said on Monday.

Even among supporters of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – the ruling coalition led by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party – 40 per cent registered their disapproval, while 44 per cent within that group said the government handled the issue well.

The student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) escalated rapidly in recent weeks, with police deploying tear gas and batons on marchers and demonstrators accusing authorities of using excessive force. The protests ultimately spread across the country, culminating in the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on July 25.

CJP leaders have since said they plan to build a nationwide movement that advocates for youth issues in the wake of the protests.