During the monsoon season of 2026, India's Generation Z organized a large-scale nationwide protest.This movement had unique features: a satirical political group, backed by renowned social activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk, became the unexpected focal point of a campaign that gathered tens of thousands of protesters, mostly students and young people.Their demonstrations against poor practices and mismanagement in national college-level qualifying examinations eventually led to the resignation of the union education minister and raised hopes for broader educational reforms.For Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, it also raised some tough questions.
When the movement started in India's capital, New Delhi, it had relatively small numbers.
However, the police's forced removal of Wangchuk from the protest area during a prolonged hunger strike in June and July prompted tens of thousands to join a planned peaceful march to Parliament soon after.Images of police actions against the protesters only intensified and broadened the movement across the country.
Cockroaches, satire, and a faulty exam
In May 2026, the Chief Justice of India's Supreme Court, Surya Kant, made a comment referring to some Indian youth as “cockroaches,” which sparked significant backlash and led to the creation of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a parody social media account launched by political communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke.
The party's humorous and satirical content attracted millions of followers and evolved into a social movement, addressing issues such as political disenfranchisement, press freedom, and corruption.Initially, its influence was stronger online than on the ground.
The movement soon focused on the mismanagement of India's main medical college entrance exam, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
Reports emerged that exam questions had been leaked before the test.The decision to cancel the results of this highly competitive exam—where about 2 million students compete for only around 130,000 seats—was a big blow to aspirants who had spent years preparing and had expected to qualify.In the weeks that followed, more than 20 students reportedly took their own lives due to the emotional distress caused by the cancellation.A retest was held later, but protests over accountability continued.
Dipke and others who joined the CJP decided to take the protest to the streets, demanding that the Indian education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, take moral responsibility and resign.
In early June, Dipke returned from the United States, where he had been studying, and called for a protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, a known protest site.Over the following weeks, the CJP also organized protests in several other cities.
It was expected to be a difficult struggle against the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Rajnath Singh, India’s defense minister, had clearly stated in a 2015 interview that ministers in the NDA government “do not resign” as a sign of accountability, unlike under the previous Indian National Congress-led government.
Protesters were stopped from marching to the Indian
Parliament by police with batons and tear
Hunger strike, memes, police brutality and resignation
A significant moment in the protest occurred when Wangchuk joined the demonstrations in June and started a hunger strike by the end of the month to support the movement’s call for Pradhan’s resignation.As he fasted for 20 days and his health deteriorated, the support for the protest grew, yet the government did not show any meaningful response.On July 18, Wangchuk was forcefully taken from the protest site by police and hospitalized, but he kept fasting at the hospital.Two days later, on July 20, thousands of protesters, mainly students and young people, gathered for a planned peaceful march to the Indian Parliament but were met with baton charges and tear gas from the police.On July 21, opposition members of Parliament protested outside Prime Minister Modi’s home, demanding the resignation of Pradhan, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Modi himself.Later that day, some opposition leaders were removed and briefly detained by police.
Several protesters were injured by the police on July 20, and some were admitted to hospitals.
The police reported that some of their personnel were also injured by protesters.The protests intensified following the images of police actions shared widely on social media by independent journalists and protesters.Crowds continued to gather at the Jantar Mantar protest site and later moved into nearby streets.Many protesters boycotted traditional television news channels, claiming they unfairly supported the government’s actions.Protests were organized in several other cities, including Mumbai, Kolkata, and Patna.Reports indicated that police used pellet guns in some instances.
In the days that followed, there were occasional reports of small conflicts between protesters and police, with more troops deployed to handle the situation.
The administration closed some of New Delhi’s rail lines and restricted cellular internet access.There were reports that local police were monitoring and detaining individuals to stop them from joining the protest.Although Wangchuk ended his fast on July 24 after the government promised to address the students’ demands, the protest continued to grow.
The language used in the protests was modern, with young protesters using memes, Gen Z slang, creative posters, and dark humor to criticize the government and the police.
Instagram videos became the main source of information and a tool to counter false news for many people involved in the protest.Bollywood celebrities also began supporting the movement, and people from India and abroad sent food, water, and supplies to the protest site as a sign of solidarity.
As pressure on the government increased to resolve the situation and address growing demands for Pradhan's resignation, he resigned as education minister on July 25.
Cabinet minister Pralhad Joshi took over the portfolio.Pradhan’s resignation came after three rounds of talks between government representatives and the CJP.The CJP also secured assurances that the government would compensate the families of students who died by suicide, as protesters had demanded 10 million rupees (about $105,000 at 2026 rates) per family, and that no legal action would be taken against protesters in the future.The CJP called off the nationwide protest on the same day.A day later, Modi announced that a task force led by Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, would advise the government on education reforms.Parliament later strengthened an existing law to punish those involved in leaks.
Blog by Pradeep
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