India's Supreme Court has ordered the release of all under-18s arrested during weeks of student protests over a national exam-paper leak scandal, and barred authorities from taking any further coercive action against demonstrators. Chief Justice Surya Kant also directed that surveillance footage — including from drones, body cameras, and CCTV — be preserved, and that protesters' personal data not be made public, after petitioners alleged police used excessive force and pellet guns against crowds. The protests, which prompted the resignation of the education minister and government pledges of exam reform, ended last weekend, though student organisers say hundreds of participants remain in custody across multiple states.