About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of the Cockroach Janta Party on India's political landscape amidst youth-led protests for education reform.

In July 2026, tens of thousands of students took to the streets in India’s capital, demanding reforms to education. The protests followed the leak of medical entrance exam papers but quickly grew to reflect wider concerns about job opportunities for graduates. The movement became known as the Cockroach Janta Party. What began as an online campaign developed into a youth-led protest movement, attracting prominent activists and drawing international attention. As the protests grew, they posed a challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been in power for more than a decade. The movement has brought together people from different parts of Indian society and highlighted dissatisfaction over job opportunities and prospects for young people. So, how has the Cockroach Janta Party changed India’s politics and what does it mean for its future? Our expert panel this week include Ruchi Gupta, executive director of the Future of India Foundation, India; Sadanand Dhume, senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, US; Rahul Verma, fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, India and Dr Chietigj…

People in this episode

Guests: Ruchi Gupta, Sadanand Dhume, Rahul Verma, Dr Chietigj Bajpaee

Topics covered

• youth protests
• education reform
• political change
• job opportunities
• activism
• India politics

Keywords

• Cockroach Janta Party
• India
• protests
• education
• job opportunities
• Narendra Modi
• activism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Future of India Foundation, Council on Foreign Relations, Centre for Policy Research, Chatham House, Bharatiya Janata Party

Places: India, US, UK

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