As India picks up the pieces in the aftermath of a youth protest that deposed an education minister, questions linger over the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) failure to connect with younger generations.
Analysts say the scale of youth participation in the protest suggests a loss of faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the real test coming at the ballot box in key state elections next year.
Thousands of young people joined the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) march to parliament on Monday demanding examination reforms and the resignation of education chief Dharmendra Pradhan.
The impetus behind the protest was medical school entrance paper leaks, which forced a resit and affected 2 million students, driving at least 12 to suicide.
It was one of the largest displays of public dissent against Modi’s government over his 12 years in office, fuelled by existing discontent over job prospects and corruption.
Kartik Verma, 20, a student at Aligarh Muslim University, said he and his family had been staunch Modi supporters but “the arrogance of the BJP with no accountability shook my belief”.