Indian prime minister Narendra Modi broke his silence on Thursday as thousands of young protesters camped out on the streets of Delhi, though he stopped short of meeting their demands for the resignation of the country’s education minister.
India’s “cockroach” protests began more than a month ago over alleged leaks in some of the country’s most competitive entrance exams for medical colleges and government jobs. The movement has since expanded beyond exam grievances, drawing professionals and families to join the ranks of students while channelling broader frustration.
Addressing the issue publicly for the first time on Thursday, prime minister Narendra Modi announced fast-track courts to handle examination paper leak cases. “Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth!” Modi wrote on X.
The announcement did little to calm the protesters, as the leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party, which launched the movement, said they would not end their demonstrations until the education minister resigned.
Staying true to the movement’s tongue-in-cheek style, its founder Abhijeet Dipke responded by posting a meme of Pradhan captioned: “Hi, my name is Nothing.”
A single photo captures the resolve behind India’s ‘cockroach’ protests
The blue police van dominates the frame.
A young woman, Rhiya Ahir, stands in front of it in a rain-soaked hoodie, one hand pressed against the metal.
Behind the windshield sit police officers. Inside the van are young protesters detained after demonstrations in India’s financial capital Mumbai on Wednesday.
India’s “cockroach” protests began more than a month ago over alleged leaks in some of the country’s most competitive entrance exams for medical schools and government jobs. Since then, the movement has grown beyond exam complaints, drawing professionals and families and reflecting broader public frustration.
The confrontation lasted about 40 minutes.
Ahir said she had been waiting for friends before joining the protest when she saw the police van. She asked officers if they had the required paperwork to detain the protesters.
Unsatisfied with the response, she first walked alongside the moving vehicle. When she could no longer keep up, she stepped in front of it.
The 27-year-old said she could not accept seeing ordinary citizens being treated like criminals simply for protesting.
The driver revved the engine, startling her. Ahir said the possibility of being detained or injured crossed her mind, but she refused to move. She held her ground until the protesters were released.
Ahir admitted she was afraid. But conviction prevailed.“I knew one thing,” she said. “If I had started this, I had to end it.”
Namita Singh23 July 2026 11:44
Why millions of Indians are proudly calling themselves ‘cockroaches’
It began as a satirical movement online, embracing the humble cockroach as a way to voice the frustrations of young people in India after a series of scandals rocking the education sector.
Now, the so-called “Cockroach Janta (People’s) Party” has captured the attention of the nation, with a weeks-long sit-in protest in the capital culminating in a march on parliament that was met by tear gas and baton charges from the police.
Read more about the party, which has dubbed themselves as the “voice of the lazy and unemployed”:
Why millions of Indians are proudly calling themselves ‘cockroaches’
The Cockroach Janta Party has become one of India’s fastest-growing movements after a Supreme Court judge compared unemployed young people to ‘cockroaches’. Shahana Yasmin reports Namita Singh23 July 2026 11:17
Delhi police given power to carry out preventive detention under stringent national security law
The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi has authorised the commissioner of police to carry out preventive detention of protesters under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).
The NSA allows preventive detention of individuals if “acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the State or…the maintenance of Public order or…the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the community”.
It allows for preventive detention without immediate criminal prosecution for a specified period.
The authorisation, given by the Lieutenant Governor, will remain in force till 18 October.
The police have clarified that the order is “routine”, adding that it is unconnected with the ongoing street protests by students demanding the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Namita Singh23 July 2026 11:16
What sets apart India’s cockroach protest from other revolutions in South Asia
As tens of thousands of GenZ protesters take to the streets of Delhidemanding the resignation of the country’s education minister, the scenes in India’s capital have been widely compared with recent popular uprisings in several countries across South Asia.
But will they topple the government in India, like the GenZ protests did in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal
Report:
Why India’s ‘cockroach’ protests are different from other South Asian Gen-Z movements
From Bangladesh and Nepal to Sri Lanka, youth-led protests have toppled governments. But one crucial difference makes a similar outcome far less likely in India’s ‘cockroach’ movement, reports Namita SinghNamita Singh23 July 2026 10:46
Protests reflect rising youth anger
For many young Indians, the protests have become one of the few visible expressions of dissent in a country where demonstrations against Narendra Modi’s government have led to a broader crackdown on activists, opposition figures and public protests.
The movement’s rapid growth beyond student groups reflects wider frustration among young Indians and echoes a broader trend across South Asia, where young people have driven anti-government movements in recent years.
The movement has also gained a following among Indians of all ages over concerns about government accountability, unemployment and economic opportunity.
Opposition parties have backed the protests, using the issue to challenge the government in Parliament. Demonstrations and solidarity events have been held in other Indian cities, reflecting how the movement has spread beyond the capital.
India has one of the world’s youngest populations, with millions entering a labour market that has struggled to create enough secure, well-paying jobs. Despite years of rapid economic growth, many young people say their prospects have not improved.
As one of the country’s largest voting blocs, India’s youth could also become an increasingly important political force ahead of future elections.
Namita Singh23 July 2026 10:45
Modi tries to contain protest fallout
India’s prime minister Narendra Modi addressed the protesters’ demands for the first time on Thursday, though he did not mention the Cockroach Janta Party or the unrest in Delhi directly.
The key demand of the protest movement since it began last month has been the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and accountability from the government for a debacle involving the cancellation of a major university entrance exam.
Modi said today he would set up fast-track courts to handle the alleged paper leaks that led to the exam being scrapped, vowing “strict punishment” for those involved.
Fast-track courts are special courts created to speed up cases in India’s notoriously slow justice system.
“Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth!,” Modi wrote on X.Leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party, which launched the protest movement, said they would not end their demonstrations until the education minister resigned.
Staying true to the movement’s tongue-in-cheek style, its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, responded by posting a meme of Pradhan captioned: “Hi, my name is Nothing.”
Namita Singh23 July 2026 10:18
India protest movement holds capital sit-in as police crack down on demonstrators
Thousands of young protesters were camped on the streets of India’s capital New Delhi on Thursday, defying new restrictions in the latest show of strength for a movement that has become one of the biggest challenges to prime minister Narendra Modi’s government.
India’s “Cockroach” protests began more than a month ago over alleged leaks in some of the country’s most competitive entrance exams for medical colleges and government jobs.
The movement has since expanded beyond exam grievances, drawing professionals and families while channeling broader frustration.
Thursday’s demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in New Delhi, followed overnight clashes in which police used tear gas and batons to disperse crowds, the second such confrontation this week.
On Monday, thousands of protesters had defied restrictions and marched toward Parliament before police broke up the demonstration with tear gas and batons.
Protesters regrouped by Thursday morning, returning to the protest site despite roadblocks, while authorities suspended Delhi Metro services at 16 stations across central New Delhi in an effort to limit access to the demonstrations.
Namita Singh23 July 2026 09:44