India’s Gen Z forced Modi to listen, respond and act – revealing the sheets to the ruling party’s weapons.
Protesters raise slogans, hold placards and raise Indian flags during a rally organized by supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party after the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan due to the leak of exam papers, in Mumbai, India, on July 26, 2026. (Photo by Indranil Aditya/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has come under pressure from student protests across India – a rarity in the current administration – underscoring the growing influence of Gen Zs in the world’s largest democracy.
On Saturday, India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, a major demand from student protesters who have been voicing concerns over the leak of exam papers.
The government also agreed to other demands of the Cockroach Janta Party, a youth organization leading the protest, such as providing compensation to the families of students who committed suicide due to the May exam paper leak.
The protests spread to social media, prompting Modi, 75, to make his first Instagram reel as he looks to improve his stage presence in his bid to connect with a new generation of voters. In his latest letter on Sunday, Modi promised a “HIGH POWERED TASK FORCE” led by Indian businessman Nandan Nilekani to oversee changes in the exams.
The protests revealed a growing disconnect between the Modi government and young Indians, a generation that will dominate the electorate for decades to come, experts say.
“It is very surprising to see the speech and the language of these protesters,” said Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia region of the Atlantic Council, “Inside India” on Monday.
The protesters were “very critical” and “insulting Modi and his government at times,” he said, adding that it was surprising given the popularity of the Modi government.
Cut off young voters
Experts highlight that in 2027, there are big elections in many states, including Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state with one of the largest centers of young voters. By 2029, in time for the next general election, Gen Z will be the “majority of influence,” and all political parties will insist on addressing their priorities.
“Don’t make a hero out of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation,” said Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the CJP in his speech on Saturday, adding that “the country is ruined because of making one person a hero,” referring to the prime minister.
Over the past decade, economic ambitions have been at the forefront of Modi’s electoral appeal, experts say, but they add that many young people feel the promise has not been fulfilled amid rising unemployment and a lack of upward mobility.
NEW DELHI, INDIA – JULY 25: CJP (Cockroach janta Party) founder Abhijeet Dipke announces the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan while addressing supporters at Jantar Mantar on July 25, 2026 in New Delhi, India. A mixed bag of protestors gathered in New Delhi on Monday as the discontent took hold, and as Sonam Wangchuk, an activist who had been on a hunger strike to protest, was rushed to hospital on Sunday. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was arrested on Tuesday among others, as the agitation continued into the week. (Photo by Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images)
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The CJP was launched on May 16 by political communications strategist and Boston University student Dipke, after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant called people attacking institutions “parasites” and likened some unemployed youth and activists to “cockroaches” during a court hearing.
The CJI later said that his verbal observation was “misquoted,” but the CJP had already gone viral on social media, amassing more than 22 million followers in no time.
The CJP called for a protest on June 6, demanding Pradhan’s resignation, blaming him for the exam paper leak that took place in May. But the protest intensified on July 20 after the Delhi Police violently attacked the students as they broke the barricades around the protest site to march towards parliament.
Demonstrations that generate electricity
The political impact of the student protest on the Modi government could be huge, Arpit Chaturvedi, South Asia consultant at Teneo, told CNBC.
The CJP movement suggests that the Modi government’s “political and developmental narrative may not resonate with the next generation of voters,” and challenges the “idea of the government’s political invincibility,” Chaturvedi said.
According to local media reports, CJP’s successful protest has already inspired a copycat group, the E20 Janta Party, to demand the resignation of India’s road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari over the mandate to mix 20% ethanol with gasoline. Indian farmers also organized a protest to express their concerns about the US-India trade deal.
The success of the CJP protest will have a “regenerative effect” on other public campaigns, said Kugelman of the Atlantic Council. The last time the Modi government had to accede to the demands of the protesters was in 2021, following protests by farmers that lasted more than a year.
