Monday’s planned march to Parliament marks the next escalation by organizers demanding action over alleged exam leaks and the education minister’s resignation.
Three weeks into Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, protesters say the government’s silence has hardened their resolve and turned the sit-in into a broader accountability campaign.
21 million Instagram followers helped propel the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party from an online backlash in May into street protests, though daily turnout in New Delhi remains only a few hundred, rising to about 1,000 by evening.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has neither opened negotiations nor publicly acknowledged the movement’s demands, while Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has accused members of working against the country.
For many young Indians, the protests tap wider distrust in institutions because a single entrance exam can determine access to government jobs and medical colleges.