Gen Z’s digital revolt challenges Indian government: Students march in Delhi amid exam scandals

Protesters from the “Cockroach Janta Party” movement, backed by thousands of students, took over the heart of New Delhi on Wednesday, deepening the political crisis facing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.

What began as an ironic wave on online platforms has turned into one of the most serious battles for Modi’s government since his 2024 election victory. Gathered in the symbolic Jantar Mantar square, activists are demanding the resignation of the Education Minister and have secured open support from the opposition front.

Rahul Gandhi, the leading figure of the Congress party, called on the executive to apologize for the way security forces handled the crowd, as opposition lawmakers staged protest actions in front of the prime minister’s residence and within the walls of Parliament. Monday’s clashes between police and demonstrators marked the fiercest unrest in the capital in five years, with state forces deploying tear gas and using physical force, while some participants responded with stones.

Human rights organization Amnesty International denounced a disproportionate use of force by the authorities, although India’s Supreme Court declined to hear a petition to investigate police brutality. At the root of this wave of anger lies a series of violations in the education sector, particularly the revelation that the national medical entrance exam paper had circulated prematurely, forcing more than two million high school graduates to face the need for a retest. Tensions were further inflamed by heated discussions regarding the automated grading process for the state board exams.