Govt Ready for Detailed Parliament Debate on Exam Paper Leaks: JP Nadda

India's Modi govt faces immense pressure as 'cockroach' protests rage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is under one of its toughest public tests with the youth-led “Cockroach” movement still drawing crowds in New Delhi and beyond. Despite strong security and resistance, protesters have held their sit-in sites, demanding accountability and systemic change.

How the Movement Emerged

Roots in Satire: The insurgency is spearheaded by the unregistered Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an organisation that grew out of an online satirical campaign sparked by a high-profile judicial statement dismissively referring to unemployed young activists and critics as "cockroaches".

The Catalyst: A series of large-scale leaks of competitive and medical entrance exam papers, including medical tests that affected millions of students, saw public anger erupt, with the leaks being linked to long-standing stress, financial hardship and a spate of student suicides.

Immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, educational transparency, systemic reforms and financial support to the affected families are the key demands.

Tensions rise and political fallout

The situation deteriorated further when thousands of protesters attempted to march to Parliament, only to be met with a heavy-handed police response involving batons, water cannons and tear gas that resulted in scores of protesters and police officers being injured.

The crackdown soon brought the political opposition to a head. High-profile protests were held in support of the student movement by key leaders of the Congress party, including Rahul Gandhi. Opposition legislators wore black in Parliament to demand accountability from the government and an apology for police violence, while officials from the ruling party argued that the administration was open to structured debate, not coercion.

The Gen Z-led movement has transformed deep-seated economic and educational frustrations into a major political test for the government, as protests spread beyond the capital to major cities.