Modi vows ‘fast-track courts’ as ‘cockroach’ protests over exam leaks grow

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to set up fast-track courts to punish officials accused of leaking examination papers, as a youth-led protest movement called the “cockroach” protests rocks the capital. In his first public remarks on the movement, Modi posted on social media: “Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth … Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared.” The protests, led by a group calling itself the “Cockroach Janta Party,” have erupted in Delhi and pose one of the biggest challenges to Modi’s government. The name “cockroach” is a term used by demonstrators to describe corrupt officials they say are destroying opportunities for young people. The prime minister’s promise of fast-track courts aims to speed up punishment for those involved in the exam paper leaks, a scandal that has sparked widespread anger across the country.