India's angry Gen Z protesters say Modi must fix accountability

NEW DELHI: Student protests in India demanding education reforms grew on Thursday despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing a crackdown following a string of exam paper leaks.

Five Gen Z protesters at the main protest site in the capital New Delhi spoke to AFP about what was driving them to join the movement initiated by the online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

The protests have emerged as one of the biggest challenges to Modi’s government since his re-election in 2024.

‘Speak up’

Madhu, 21, said the medical entrance exam paper leak that forced more than two million candidates to sit for a retest, provided the initial spark.

“The paper leak was the spark and the CJP provided a platform for people to protest,” she said.

“But now it has become a forum to talk about our many problems, from unemployment to the lack of freedom to speak up under this government.”

She attributed the outpouring of support for the protests to “years of repressed frustration”.

“It has been a long time since this government last spoke to us in good faith,” she said while cleaning up the protest site.

Madhu said her parents feared for her safety – she had her face covered with a surgical mask and gave only her first name – but that she felt obliged to be part of the movement.

“Sometimes you have to overcome your own fears.”

‘Just sack him’

Aarohi Singh has travelled from the northern city of Lucknow on an overnight train, a duffel bag in tow and no return ticket – a trip made with her family’s blessing.

“My parents told me to go and mark our presence,” said the 23-year-old who runs a beauty salon. “I don’t have a place to stay, but that’s fine – at least I have the company of thousands of people.”

For the Singh family, the movement is personal. Her younger sister was forced to resit the medical entrance exam but did not pass.

“I know how much money my parents spent on her preparation, but after the paper leaked she was demoralised and broken,” she said.

Singh said she was “aghast” at the government’s reluctance to sack the education minister, the protesters’ main demand.

“There’s the people of the country on one side and the minister on the other,” she said. “Why can’t the prime minister just sack him?”

‘Demand accountability’

Sahil, 28, a corporate employee, has been coming to the protest every day since Monday after calling in sick at work.

On Thursday, he was coordinating hundreds of food deliveries sent by well-wishers from across the country.

“I am part of this because I can relate to what the affected students must be going through,” said Sahil, who asked to be identified by only one name.

“I am here to demand accountability.”

Sahil said he had seen the movement grow into a broader expression of anger.

“It began with students and education, but people are coming and raising their own set of problems,” he said.

“People are protesting against what they feel is wrong in the country.”

‘Hope’

Engineering student Kunal Suryavanshi, from a small town in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, said the protest was an opportunity to be among people who dared to speak up.

“We live in a deeply unequal country where every protest is crushed with brute force,” said the 17-year-old.

“I have come to be part of something that will hopefully lead to change.”

Suryavanshi said he planned to stay in the capital for a while, spending his days at the protest site and sleeping at a nearby Sikh temple.

“But if I don’t get space there, the pavement is just fine,” he said, his face half-covered by a handkerchief.

“All I have brought with me is hope.”

‘Broken’ system

Yuvraj, training to be a lawyer in northern Punjab state, sported a Spiderman mask but could barely conceal his anger.

“We live in a surveillance state,” the 24-year-old said, giving only one name.

“The state is watching us, so we cannot afford to take a chance.”

But not coming “would have been the biggest regret of my life”, he said.

“We have to protest because the system is completely broken and some things are bigger than you.”

Yuvraj said the entrance test for a government job he had applied for last year was also found to have been compromised.

“You prepare for years for an exam only for the paper to be leaked, and then you’re told to try again next time,” he said.

“It is just not acceptable. There has to be some accountability.”