In a relief for commuters, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced on Sunday morning that all network stations are now open and operational. This comes as the students protests, led by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in the national capital, came to an end on Saturday evening after Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
Event Context
The stations that were affected over the past four days included Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhambha Road, Supreme Court, Seva Teerth, Janpath, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, ITO, New Delhi, Delhi Gate, Jor Bagh, and more.
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Around 17-18 stations had been shut nearly every day as the CJP protest escalated into a massive movement over the past week. Though interchange facilities remained operational, the shutdown of entry and exit to these stations in Central Delhi affected several commuters.
Player Focus
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as education minister after days of student protests in the national capital. He announced his resignation, saying that the developments of the past 10 days had “saddened” him deeply and that the issue was “not a matter of personal prestige.”
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After Pradhan’s resignation, the Abhijeet Dipke-led Cockroach Janta Party called off its protests and declared that the government accepted its other demands, including withdrawal of FIRs against protesters and compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak.
The CJP had been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar for over a month, demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, mainly NEET.
The agitation began at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 20. Activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest on June 28 and undertook an indefinite hunger strike. Late on July 23, Wangchuk ended his fast after the Centre’s outreach to him.
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A new bill against paper leaks aims for stricter punishment, hikes the minimum jail term and quantum of fines. It also promises speedy trials by setting up fast-track courts.
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According to the proposed law, any individual resorting to “unfair means and offences”, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than “five years but which may extend up to ten years and with fine up to fifty lakh rupees,” HT reported.
