"Cockroaches Have Won"... Indian Gen Z Protest Forces Government to Surrender

Government Accepts Protesters' Demands Over Medical School Entrance Exam Scandal
Generation Z Group Mocked as "Cockroaches" Leads the Demonstrations

In India, after more than a month of large-scale anti-government protests sparked by the leak of medical school entrance exam (NEET) questions, the Minister of Education—who had been named responsible for the scandal—has resigned.

On July 26 (local time), according to AP and AFP, Jagat Prakash Nadda, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, and other government officials held talks with the leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), who led the protests. Following these talks, they held a joint press conference to announce that the government had agreed to accept the protesters’ demands.

Protesters led by India's Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) are chanting slogans demanding educational reform. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Ashutosh Lanka, CJP spokesperson, stated, “Our struggle and patience have borne fruit,” and called on everyone to “return home peacefully now that all our demands have been accepted and the protest can conclude.”

The government accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, the Minister of Education, who was identified as being responsible for the exam leak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi then appointed Pralhad Joshi, the Minister of New and Renewable Energy, as the new Minister of Education. In addition, the government will implement: ▲ reforms to the medical school entrance exam system ▲ an investigation into those involved in exam-related corruption ▲ a halt to legal proceedings against the protesters.

Pradhan, who held multiple ministerial positions in Modi’s cabinet for 12 years, previously stated that he submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Modi to prevent anti-state forces from exploiting the protest situation.

Upon hearing news of the minister’s resignation, thousands of protesters cheered and celebrated their victory at Jantar Mantar Square, the protest’s main base in New Delhi. CJP founder Abhijit Deepke declared, “We did it,” and participants handed out sweets, creating a festive atmosphere.

Abhijit Deepke, founder of CJP (center), is giving a speech in front of supporters during a protest rally held in New Delhi, India. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The crisis began with the NEET held last May. During the test, taken by approximately 2.2 million candidates, allegations emerged of leaked questions and poor administration. The controversy over a retest and the intense pressure led to several examinees taking their own lives, creating significant social repercussions.

Further outrage among young people was sparked when India's Chief Justice Suryakant controversially compared unemployed youth to “cockroaches.” Although Chief Justice Kant later explained that his comments were aimed at holders of certain fake degrees, the controversy did not die down easily.

Seizing on the situation, political consultant-turned-activist Deepke formed the satirical group CJP on social media. Young people reclaimed the insult as their group name and rallied together, with CJP leading nationwide protests demanding the resignation of the education minister and reforms to the exam system.

When the government accepted the demands, on the 25th in Mumbai, protesters celebrated holding a banner that said CJP had won. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The protests grew beyond objections to exam irregularities, merging with grievances about youth unemployment, lack of opportunities, and dissatisfaction with the Modi government’s authoritarian governance. It became the largest anti-government demonstration since the 2020–2021 farmers’ protests.

Experts view the rapid rise of CJP as a case of India’s Generation Z turning their frustrations into collective action. India, the world’s most populous country, has around 400 million young people between the ages of 15 and 29, yet youth unemployment remains persistently high.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.