(July 20): Thousands of young people converged in New Delhi on Monday to attempt to march to the parliament, drawing attention to a growing education crisis that’s become a major political test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
The month-long demonstrations appeared to gain further momentum as protest leaders said they were headed to meet with Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, according to a post on X. A spokesperson for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and an official in Nadda’s office declined to confirm.
“The government had reached out for talks in the morning,” said Saurav Das, spokesperson of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) — a viral satirical online campaign that has since evolved into a protest movement. If confirmed, this would be the first-known engagement between the two parties.
“The youth has gathered in huge numbers. We shall win,” Das said on X.
Speaking before the start of the parliament, Modi didn’t directly address the protesters, but highlighted the achievements of India’s youth after Skyroot Aerospace Pvt became the first private-sector company from India to launch a rocket to orbit this weekend. He pointed out that the start-up’s average employee is just 28 years old.
“India’s youth have embarked on a new journey into space. It is a tremendous success,” he said. “This is no coincidence; it is a message, a powerful message that the potential and aspirations of our country’s youth are as boundless as space itself.”
The protests, led by the CJP, have centred on demands for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after alleged exam paper leaks. But many demonstrators in central Delhi directed their anger at Modi, reflecting broader frustration with his government. One chant heard along arterial roads leading to Parliament declared: “Whenever Modi gets scared, he hides behind the police.”
Earlier in the day, Indian television channels broadcast footage appearing to show police using batons to disperse some protesters. In a post on X, Delhi Police said there was no use of violence.
Telecom companies also sent messages on Monday to their customers, saying internet services have been temporarily suspended on government direction in some pockets of Delhi.
“These protest represent a distraught youth and it will be foolish for the government to ignore the protesters given the ground swell today,” said Arati Jerath, a New Delhi-based author and political analyst. “The government needs to look at these issues seriously.”
The 25-day parliamentary session is also expected to revive a politically contentious debate over expanding the number of seats in the lower house. Modi’s BJP, fresh off a landslide victory in recent state elections, is likely to push ahead with the proposal after failing to pass the bill in April. Opposition parties argue the plan would dilute their influence in parliament.
Modi appealed for a constructive debate, saying, “where there are facts and reasoning, there is no space for a storm.” Once the Lower House convened, however, opposition lawmakers began sloganeering, prompting recurrent adjournments of proceedings.
Outside the parliament, students had begun gathering earlier in the morning at a designated protest site in New Delhi. Authorities said on Sunday that no permission had been granted for the protest.
Manju Janmeda, a 50-year-old housewife, who resides in Faridabad bordering New Delhi, arrived at the protest site on Monday morning using public transport. “I have come to lend my support to the students movement,” she said. “Education system in India is rotten and it’s high time the authorities fix it.”
The gathering comes as police on Saturday moved to quash the student movement by forcibly removing Sonam Wangchuk, a prominent activist who’s been on a hunger strike for three weeks, from the protest site and taking him to hospital. Hundreds of students and activists also gathered in Mumbai on Sunday evening to protest his transfer, according to the local media.
In a handwritten note posted on X, Wangchuk said he would end his fast on Monday if the government takes accountability for failures in the education system, including recent question paper leaks. Notably, his new demands do not include a demand for the education minister’s resignation.
Opposition members are backing the students in their demands. They also plan to question Modi’s government over rising costs in the economy, and allegations of corruption at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, a marquee project of the BJP.
The government is seeking to advance key economic and governance reforms as it navigates challenging global risks.
The economy is heavily reliant on oil imports from the Middle East and surging crude prices and lower rainfall because of the weak monsoon this year have emerged as twin risks for inflation and the broader outlook.
The government’s published agenda says the monsoon session of the parliament, which runs until Aug 13, will focus on tax changes, foreign funding rules, higher education reforms and support for small businesses.
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