A protest movement is challenging India’s establishment. What to know about the ‘Cockroaches’

A protest movement is challenging India’s establishment. What to know about the ‘Cockroaches’ 0 seconds of 1 minute, 24 secondsVolume 0% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size- Increase Caption Size+ or = Seek %0-9 Next Up Supporters send food to India's 'Cockroach' protesters 01:03 Subtitle Settings OffEnglish(US)_v Font Color White Font Opacity 100% Font Size 100% Font Family Arial Character Edge None Edge Color Black Background Color Black Background Opacity 50% Window Color Black Window Opacity 0% Reset WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan 100%75%50%25% 200%175%150%125%100%75%50% ArialCourierGeorgiaImpactLucida ConsoleTahomaTimes New RomanTrebuchet MSVerdana NoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop Shadow WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan 100%75%50%25%0% WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan 100%75%50%25%0% 00:00 01:24 01:24 More Videos 01:03 Supporters send food to India's 'Cockroach' protesters 01:00 Attempt to save a struggling swimmer leaves 5 dead in an Ohio river 01:15 Trump celebrates World Cup success, comments on action against Iran 00:55 Incendiary device erupts outside New York federal building; FBI says a person is in custody 02:10 NYC Mayor Mamdani says New York can't arrest Netanyahu but the federal government should 01:14 Trump, Infantino give World Cup high praise, calling tournament a success 00:57 Private mission launches to extend life of out-of-gas communication satellites 00:52 Sailboat with humanitarian aid arrives in Havana as Cuba's crisis deepens Close 1 of 7 | Calling themselves the “Cockroaches,” young Indians are channeling anger over failings in the education system into a broader campaign for government accountability. In doing so, they also have mounted one of the most visible public challenges in recent years to the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. More Videos 0 seconds of 1 minute, 3 secondsVolume 90% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size- Increase Caption Size+ or = Seek %0-9 Next Up AP Top Stories July 22 00:58 Auto360p1080p720p540p360p270p180p 00:00 01:03 01:03 More Videos Close 2 of 7 | People from all over India have been ordering food through delivery apps for protesters of the youth-led ‘Cockroach’ movement in New Delhi who have called for the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination paper leaks. (AP video/Piyush Nagpal) 3 of 7 | Protesters shout slogans as they carry posters asking for the resignation of India’s Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan at a protest led by Cockroach Janta Party in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Vipin) 4 of 7 | A protestor carries a poster with a message in Hindi which translates as ‘Save Our Constitution’ as he participates in a protest movement led by Cockroach Janta Party, in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Vipin) 5 of 7 | A reclining protestor covers himself with a banner printed with a portrait of Sonam Wangchuk, a prominent activist who was forcefully transferred to a hospital by the police as he staged a hunger strike in support of a movement led by Cockroach Janta Party, at a protest in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Vipin) 6 of 7 | A protestor, left, receives a food package from a supporter at the site where thousands have assembled to join a protest led by Cockroach Janta Party in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Piyush Nagpal) 7 of 7 | A volunteer distributes food packages sent in by supporters from across the country to protestors who have gathered in their thousands to join a movement led by Cockroach Janta Party, in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Vipin) By SHEIKH SAALIQ Updated 4:38 AM MESZ, July 23, 2026 Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit NEW DELHI (AP) — What began as an online joke has evolved into one of the most significant protest movements in India being led by young people hoping to change the established political structure and the damage they believe the government has caused. Calling themselves the “Cockroaches,” young Indians are channeling anger over failings in the education system into a broader campaign for government accountability. In doing so, they also have mounted one of the most visible public challenges in recent years to the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The immediate trigger for the protests was public anger over alleged leaks of some of India’s most competitive entrance examinations for medical colleges and government jobs. The exams are a pathway to stable employment and upward social mobility for millions of Indians. The possibility that the exams have been shared in advance often force authorities to cancel or repeat tests, leaving students with months or years of lost preparation and uncertainty. The movement began in May, when India’s Supreme Court Chief Justice Surya Kant, during an unrelated court hearing, compared some unemployed young people to “Cockroaches.” The remark sparked an online backlash, prompting Boston University student Abhijeet Dipke to launch the Cockroach Janta Party, or Cockroach People’s Party. Many young Indians embraced the remark and adopted the cockroach as an emblem of resilience. The campaign exploded on social media, attracting more than 21 million Instagram followers within days. Supporters posted memes, mock campaign slogans and satirical commentary targeting Modi’s government over unemployment, limited job opportunities and economic pressures. India’s Cockroach movement holds a capital sit-in as police crack down on protests 2 MIN READ India police use tear gas to stop march on Parliament by Cockroach movement supporters 3 MIN READ India’s youth-led Cockroach movement vows to continue protest after police crackdown 3 MIN READ The movement took on a street presence in June when Dipke returned to India from the U.S. and began organizing protests across cities and university campuses that drew hundreds. Plans to stage a sit-in at Jantar Mantar, a prominent protest site in New Delhi, gained nationwide attention. Since then the movement has demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, examination system reforms and compensation for families of students who died by suicide after exam paper leaks. The New Delhi sit-in initially drew a few hundred daily protesters, but the turnout soon grew into the thousands. The movement gathered more momentum after prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the demonstration and began a hunger strike that has lasted more than three weeks. Police forcibly transferred Wangchuk to a hospital over the weekend. As the protests have grown, they have embodied broader frustrations over government accountability and the prospects of young people. Many protesters say they have lost trust in institutions including the education system, political leadership, the judiciary and the media. The movement also has attracted professionals and families beyond the core student base. Supporters across India have ordered food online with directions to share the deliveries with anyone at the protest sites. The movement’s appeal has widened partly because of the lack of a traditional political party structure. Organizers say volunteers and supporters fund their own travel to protests and rely on social media for mobilization. The government initially rejected demands for talks with protesters. Pradhan, the education minister, accused protesters of working against the country’s interests and said the government had resolved the crisis by ordering fresh examinations. The official stance began to shift only after the movement escalated. Police used tear gas and batons after thousands of demonstrators on Monday tried to push through security barricades during their march to Parliament as lawmakers returned for the monsoon session. The crackdown led to public anger. A government minister later met movement representatives in the first visible outreach, but the talks failed to ease tensions. Pressure also mounted after opposition leader Rahul Gandhi staged a sit-in outside Modi’s residence Tuesday, thrusting the Cockroaches to the center of India’s political debate. Under mounting pressure, Pradhan said the government was committed to “addressing every genuine concern of our youth” during the ongoing Parliament session but did not say whether he will resign, which remains a core demand of the protesters. The movement’s rapid spread beyond student groups points to growing frustration among young Indians and resembles a broader trend across South Asia, where youths have played a central role in anti-government movements in recent years. Though India’s opposition parties remain divided and political space for criticism has shrunk under Modi, the ruling government must face the unusual challenge of a decentralized movement of young people rather than established political organizations. Opposition parties and rights activists have backed the campaign, framing it as a broader fight for democratic accountability and the right to peaceful protest. The movement also has given India’s opposition a potent platforms to broaden its appeal among young voters while challenging Modi’s government across ideological lines. With hundreds of millions of voters under 35, including millions of first-time voters, India’s youth are a crucial voting bloc. Their growing frustration could have wider political implications ahead of future elections. SHEIKH SAALIQ Saaliq is the South Asia correspondent for The Associated Press, based in New Delhi. He reports on India and the wider South Asia region, with a focus on politics, democracy, conflict and religion. twitter mailto