WATCH: What to know about India's youth-led Gen Z 'cockroach' protests

By — Zeba Warsi Zeba Warsi Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/watch-what-to-know-about-indias-youth-led-gen-z-cockroach-protests Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: What to know about India's youth-led Gen Z 'cockroach' protests World Jul 24, 2026 3:49 PM EDT Why are tens of thousands of young Indians suddenly calling themselves cockroaches? What began as outrage over leaked national entrance exams has exploded into one of India's biggest youth-led protest movements in years. It's a direct challenge from Gen Z to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and it's spreading to cities across India despite a government crackdown. Here's what to know. What is the Gen Z 'cockroach' movement? It began with an insult. After India's chief justice compared unemployed young people to "cockroaches" during a court hearing, students adopted the label. Boston University graduate student Abhijeet Dipke posted on X "What if all Cockroaches come together." Within hours, he created a website and social media pages for the "Cockroach Janata Party" or CJP, a satirical take on Modi's ruling BJP. The CJP Instagram page has amassed more than 25 million followers, more than twice that of BJP. What are protesters asking for? The outrage over the 'cockroach' insult came after India's Ministry of Education threw out the results of an entrance exam for undergraduate medical programs because questions on the test had been leaked in advance. Two million students had already taken the costly and difficult test, and news that it wouldn't count sparked outrage. India's hyper-competitive entrance exams can determine the future for millions of students and offer a means of upward social mobility. Repeated allegations of leaks and corruption left many students feeling their years of hard work had disappeared overnight. Activists have linked the leak to at least 20 student deaths by suicide, according to the Times of India. Among other things, protesters are demanding the ouster of India's education minister, increased punishments for people who leak test materials and fee compensation when exams are voided. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. A broader list on the party's website is also pushing for increased representation of women in parliament, a more independent media system and the arrest of the chief election commissioner if votes are ever erased. These are part of a push for more accountability, not just for exam failures, but for what they see as a political system that has failed young people. How have police and politicians responded? Clashes broke out this week as CJP protesters marched toward India's Parliament. Demonstrators accused law enforcement of using excessive force as they targeted unarmed students with tear gas, batons and reportedly even pellet guns. But if the goal was to break the movement, it appears