New Delhi, July 25: The Delhi Police on Saturday cautioned civilians not to trust any content on social media without verifying its source and warned people against spreading deepfake and AI-generated videos.

Moreover, the Delhi Police mentioned the formation of the Crime Branch’s Special Task Force (STF) as part of the Centre’s commitment to deal with paper leak cases.

Addressing a press conference, DCP Central, Rohit Rajbir Singh, spoke about the large-scale use of social media, particularly Instagram, during the student protests at Jantar Mantar, staged under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

“It is a big source for the youths to receive news and updates. During the massive use of social media, it has also been observed several times that many fake and misleading posts have also been shared. This severely affects the law-and-order system,” he said.

He added: “We all know that any kind of information on social media quickly gets viral. But it is not necessary that every post, video or photo put up on social media is genuine.”

DCP Singh cautioned citizens that before trusting any information or sharing it with others, “it is necessary to conduct a fact check of that information”.

“Delhi Police have been constantly monitoring social media. We are continuously gathering information about fake news, AI or deepfake videos, edited clips and misleading content on social media platforms so that people are able to differentiate between fake and genuine posts,” he stated.

The police official cited some social media posts which allegedly aimed to spread misinformation and panic among citizens.

Showing a Delhi Police’s fake news alert on a screen, he said: “Firstly, I want to mention those social media posts which claimed that a woman lost her life due to police action during the protest on July 20. Delhi Police have denied such claims and clarified that no life was lost during the protests.”

Referring to AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s post, he said: “Similarly, a politician posted a video on social media where he was claiming that the Central government is preparing for a crackdown on protesters at Jantar Mantar. This video had a high chance of spreading panic and fear among the public, thereby misleading them. Delhi Police had again clarified that no such action was going to take place and appealed to people not to trust unreliable information.”

DCP Singh highlighted that the police investigation has revealed that Pakistan-based social media accounts are spreading fake content.

“Delhi Police, along with other agencies, are constantly working to track down such accounts,” he stated while mentioning that more than 400 such accounts have been identified so far and have been blocked for sharing AI-generated content, deepfake videos, edited pictures and other misleading content related to the protests.

He further mentioned that similar Pak-based handles were found actively spreading fake news during Operation Sindoor last year.

“Posts on such social media accounts attempted to mislead people through edited statements of senior officials and edited visual content,” he added.

Moreover, the police official showed a fake video of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and added that the AI or deepfake content circulating on social media also includes videos showing Wangchuk.

“Another deep-fake video showed a fake statement attributed to Lt. General Rajeev Puri, DGMO, which claimed that the Army was being deployed in Delhi due to the ongoing student protests,” he said while showing one such video.

Singh mentioned that a “Special Task Force has been constituted at Delhi Police Crime Branch” as part of the Centre’s commitment to deal with exam irregularities.

“This team will be led by a DCP-rank official and under the supervision of Special CP Crime. Orders regarding this were issued yesterday itself,” he mentioned.

Delhi Police also thanked the peaceful protestors and volunteers at the Jantar Mantar for “helping the force to maintain law and order and community security”.

New Delhi, July 25: Following Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, one of the key demands of the Cockroach Janta Party-led students’ agitation, the outfit called it a “win for democracy”.

A post on CJP’s official X handle read “Democracy Wins!”. It accompanied a video which showed the protesters celebrating Pradhan’s resignation.

Addressing reporters and the demonstrators soon after Pradhan’s resignation was made public, the outfit’s founder Abhijeet Dipke said: “We have done it!…Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned. What did they say, that resignations don’t happen under this government…we say that the world does bow down, it just needs the correct people to do so.”

Displaying a banner consisting of pictures of those students who committed suicide in the aftermath of the May 3 NEET-UG paper leak, the CJP founder said: “This is for them, for all those students who lost their lives due to Dharmendra Pradhan.”

He said that Pradhan’s resignation is “proof that if you people are not afraid, if you people do not bow down to this government, then we can take the resignation of anyone”.

“There’s no need to be afraid. This is democracy, and in order to hold them (the government) accountable, we have to raise our voice. They are in power due to us,” he added.

Further, Dipke said that though Pradhan has resigned, “but we have two more demands”.

“We won’t go like that…Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned, but the families of the children who committed suicide should receive compensation of Rs 1 crore. And secondly, action must be taken against those police goons who acted against protestors on July 20 (Parliament march).”

Addressing the police officers, he warned: “Only one resignation has taken place. Remember, do not mess with cockroaches…We took blows on ourselves; the students of this country have done a very courageous job.”

“All the cases which have been registered against the students before or after July 20 must be withdrawn,” he asserted.

“To the people of India, this is how a democracy should be,” Dipke added.

Meanwhile, Dharmendra Pradhan, while submitting his resignation, reaffirmed his commitment to youth and education while thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for support, framing it as a response to protect exam integrity and students’ future.

New Delhi, July 25: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday announced his resignation, saying he was deeply pained by the developments of the past 10 days and wanted to ensure that anti-national forces did not exploit the situation arising from the controversy over examination irregularities.

Submitting his resignation, Pradhan reaffirmed his commitment to youth and education while thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for support, framing it as a response to protect exam integrity and students’ future.

This comes amid nationwide protests demanding strict action against the paper leaks and exam irregularities, and Education Minister Pradhan’s resignation citing accountability.

In his letter, Pradhan said, “For over four decades, I have dedicated myself to the cause of students, teachers, and educational reform. I have always believed that a robust, inclusive, and visionary education system forms the cornerstone of a strong nation.”

“I deeply respect the aspirations, sentiments, and legitimate expectations of the country’s youth. Realising the dreams of India’s young generation has been a moral commitment in our political and social lives. I express my gratitude to the Honourable Prime Minister for the opportunity to serve the nation under his visionary leadership,” he said.

He said that as soon as the irregularities regarding the NEET-UG examination came to light, the government, taking immediate cognisance of the matter, handed the investigation over to the CBI, cancelled the exam, and announced a date for a re-examination. Additionally, he said that a decision was made to conduct this exam in CBT (Computer-Based Test) mode starting next year.

“Throughout this period, our primary priority was to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination for over 20 lakh students. We worked towards this using a ‘whole-of-government’ approach, in which state governments — and particularly district administrations — played a crucial role alongside the Government of India. With the cooperation of students and parents, the examination was successfully concluded on June 21, 2026,” Pradhan said.

“From day one, I took responsibility for the situation and never turned away from it. I was determined not to let the potential of any meritorious student be ruined by the ‘exam mafia’ and to ensure that no student faced injustice,” he added.

He said that during the re-examination results, “individuals holding responsible positions attempted to create obstacles and mislead students”, an act, he said, caused him “deep distress”.

“I have always held unwavering faith in the strength of our democracy and deeply respected the aspirations, dreams, and expectations of the youth. They are not merely India’s future; they are the torchbearers, builders, and architects of a new and developed India. I am pained by the events of the past ten days. This is not a matter of personal prestige for me,” he added.

“Considering the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country — to prevent anti-national forces from exploiting it, preserving national unity, ensuring that not a single Indian student’s future gets entangled in legal complexities, and allowing our children to devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers — I have submitted my resignation to the Honourable Prime Minister,” Pradhan said.

He expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister for his “guidance, trust, and constant support” and to the Council of Ministers.

“Service to the nation is the highest priority of my life; I shall remain forever dedicated to it. With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, I will continue to dedicate myself in every possible way to fulfilling the aspirations of Mother India, the people of Odisha, and the youth of the country in the future as well,” he added.