Gen Z Protest: Education Minister Pradhan Resigns; Sikhs Earn Praise

July

2026

The Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called off its protest on 25 Jul, hours after the resignation of India's education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protests turned out to be one the biggest displays of dissent against Narendra Modi's government in years, with thousands camping at Jantar Mantar (Protest Site), New Delhi, as demonstrations spread in various states including Panjab. In a press conference after Pradhan's resignation, CJP leaders Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka announced the 37-day long protest was over. However, the leaders did not insist upon a written guarantee from the Indian government on their other demands: compensation to families of 21 students who committed suicide, no harassment of student-activists all over India, and a new framework for higher education examination. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, between 2014–24, over 123K students have committed suicide over examinations in India. The National Testing Agency has sacked 47 officials. However, that is not enough. There is a dire need to revamp the whole higher education examination system. Since 26 Jul, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam state governments have been arresting student protesters and filing First Information Reports against them. Though the call for protest and the 20 Jul call to march to Parliament—during which police brutally beat up protesters—was by CJP, the support to the protest by students unions' Students' Federation of India, All India Students' Association, and the All India Students Federation was critical to the success of the protest. The huge response and turn out by the youth of India vastly outnumbered all expectations. The tone, tenor, humor, sarcasm, and resilience of Gen Z set it apart from earlier protests signaling a new generation has come of age. Gen Z is about a quarter of India's population. The medium of communication also shifted from print and television to social media, especially Instagram. The protest bridged religious, caste, and gender divisions. The Sikh community members and organizations which arrived at the protest site from 20 Jul evening, played a big role by making human chains to keep protesters safe from police, providing supplies including food, helmets, glasses, and mobile toilets to the protesters. As the protest wound up, from atop a police truck, Ranka called for a round of claps for Sikhs who had supported the protests (earlier coverage).