India: CJP

Here's a roundup of the biggest headlines from India on Saturday, July 25:

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PM Modi 'thanks friends' in another late night video

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi uploaded yet another reel overnight — this time thanking "friends" for their suggestions over a Gen-Z style video posted late the night before.

"I had a chance to meet you all late last night. The response to the video I posted, the insightful suggestions... thank you everybody," he said in the latest video.

In the previous reel, the prime minister had appealed to the nation that the government had taken several steps to counter the paper leak issue. It was one of his lesser-produced videos shot in a less-than ideal angle, seemingly in an attempt to connect with the youth.

Many protesters on ground read the video as a "desperate attempt" to manage the students' anger as protests began to spread nationwide. "He suddenly woke up and posted a panic reel because they didn't expect the protests to reach this stage," one protesters told DW, asking to stay anonymous over fear of backlash.

Meanwhile, social media did what it does best and made memes.

The Prime Minister appears to have acknowledged that he is watching and learning.

IN PICTURES: Overnight scenes from the protest at Jantar Mantar

CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke diagnosed with typhoid

Political pressure group Cockroack Janta Party's leader and Founder Abhijeet Dipke has been diagnosed with typhoid, he said in the early hours of Saturday in a post on X.

"I have been diagnosed with typhoid. My treatment is on, I am being administered IV [fluids] day and night," Dipke said, holding up his hand to show the catheter set up.

"But I really want to thank the cockroaches which have been protesting peacefully across the nation and have made this movement so successful. A big, big thankyou to all and congratulation to you all for such a big,big success. And I am very sure if we continue protesting peacefully, Dharmendra Pradhan will have to resign," he said, speaking of the education minister.

Dipke and several protesters have been camping at the Jantar Mantar protest site since over a month now.

WATCH: Delhi police crack down on student protests

There have been accusations of police brutality in New Delhi after police used tear gas and batons against anti-government protesters from the "Cockroach" movement.

The mood among protesters is rather tense, DW correspondent Adil Bhat reports. People gather in large numbers, chant slogans and demand the resignation of India's education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan.

The current protest movement is not tied to any ideology, he adds: "it will continue even if there is no leadership."

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Government-CJP second round of talks set for Saturday evening

Cockroach Janta Partyspokesperson and Indian government respresentatives are set to meet for the second round of talks on Saturday evening, after first round of talks on Friday did not lead to a breakthrough.

This comes amid youth-led nationwide protests in India against a struggling education system and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, after a national medical enterance exam's question papers leaked in May.

The leak affected millions of medical aspirants and is believed to have led to several students committing suicide.

"They had given us the time for 3:30-4:00 p.m. (1000 GMT-1030 GMT) today. The location has not been finalised yet," CJP National Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka told news agency ANI.

"Discussions are very clear. We should get written confirmation for the two demands on which there has been in-principle agreement. So that they can be closed. We need clarity over Dharmendra Pradhan — whether they will seek his resignation or not. We want an answer in Yes or No because there is not much scope for deliberation over this," he said.

On Friday, CJP's chief spokesperson Saurav Das and Ranka met Union Ministers Jagat Prakash Nadda and Jitender Singh at "neutral ground."

The ministers were presented CJP's three core demands: Pradhan's resignation, monetary compensation for the families of the students who committed suicide and no legal action against peaceful protesters.

The ministers reportedly sought a day's time to respond on the resignation demand and agreed to the other two.

Hello and welcome to DW's India blog.

This is Mahima Kapoor reporting from the New Delhi bureau and I will be your guide through the massive student-led protests which began in the capital and are now spreading across the nation.

This is a high stakes weekend. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is set to hold a second round of talks with Cockroack Janta Party spokespeople on Saturday evening.

Remember, yesterday government representatives had asked for a day's time to respond on the movement's central demand — the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Protesters in central Delhi continue to show up in large numbers which are expected to grow even more into the weekend.

Meanwhile, Modi's cabinet approved amendments to a paper leak legislation with stricter punishments and fines for those convicted. The bill could be introduced in the Indian Parliament as soon as Monday.

Tune in for all of this and more.