India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, is facing a serious crisis due to the protests of young unemployed graduates using social media.
This crisis began with the leak of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) question papers. The leak of the question papers of this section, which is a cut-off section for selection to medical education, caused a major unrest in the country, and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has not yet been able to control the youth uprising that began as a result.
Indian media reports that the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical social movement started in cyberspace by social media activist Abhijit Deepake, is behind this youth protest.
The name Cockroach comes from a remark made by Indian Chief Justice Surya Kant during a court hearing, comparing unemployed young graduates to cockroaches. Taking this derogatory remark as their identity, unemployed Indian graduates have come together under the online banner Cockroach Janta Party, created using artificial intelligence, to protest against the government.
Unemployment in India has risen to 40%. Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and a group of politicians who came to support the youth protest and protested in front of the Indian Prime Minister’s official residence were arrested by Indian police yesterday and later released.
Although the Congress party led by Rahul Gandhi has condemned the arrest of opposition activists who were engaged in a peaceful protest, Indian security forces say that they had to be removed because they were staying in a high-security area. The police have also said that it is not an arrest.
Commenting on this situation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that special (fast-track) courts will be set up to quickly try cases related to exam fraud. In addition, he has also promised to take steps to resolve the problems of the youth. But the protesters say that this is not enough and that the Education Minister should resign.
Opposition political parties including the Indian National Congress are supporting these protests and are pressuring the government to remove the Education Minister and reform the examination system.
Foreign media reports that thousands of people have gathered in the Jantar Mantar area of New Delhi. Videos of police using tear gas and baton charges in some places can be seen on the Internet, and it is reported that protesters are currently gathering on the streets in Mumbai, Bangalore and other cities.
India is the fourth country in the region to face protests in the past four years, following protests in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. The protests forced Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country.
Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli did not flee the country, but he was forced to resign on September 9, 2025, amid a youth uprising. The world is now watching to see how the Indian Prime Minister will deal with the crisis