Beyond the 'Cockroach' Protests: What's Wrong with India's Education System?

India is being rocked by a wave of protests over education, with the ‘Cockroach’ movement turning a term of insult into a symbol of youth resilience against economic and social pressures. The demonstrations, which have become a significant political threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term, were initially triggered by a scandal involving leaked questions for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), affecting over 2 million medical school aspirants. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which began as a social media satire, has since mobilised millions of supporters and staged a major rally in New Delhi. Thousands of protesters are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a reform of the national examination system, and justice for students impacted by the leaks. Clashes with security forces, who used tear gas and batons, have only swelled public support for the cause. Analysts suggest the leaked exam papers were merely a trigger. The underlying anger stems from widespread graduate unemployment, the prohibitive cost of education, and a collapse of trust in state institutions. Around 65% of India’s population is under 35, a demographic dividend long touted as the country’s engine for economic growth. However, nearly a quarter of these young people are not in education, employment, or training, risking a lost generation. Although the government has a public spending target of 6% of GDP on education, actual investment remains around 4%. The competition for university places, particularly in medicine and elite institutions, is ferociously competitive and expensive, a pressure compounded by frequent exam paper leaks. The Cockroach Janta Party reports that at least 20 students took their own lives following the May exam leak. While India has succeeded in enrolling 60.3% of five-year-olds in primary school, only 33% of 15 to 19-year-olds are in upper secondary education, one of the lowest rates among OECD comparison countries.