The Indian government has recently faced protests from the newly formed Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led movement that started as an “online joke.”

When the chief justice of India, Surya Kant, stated that the nation’s “unemployed youth” were similar to “parasites” and “cockroaches,” Abhijeet Dipke, the founder, took to social media, writing, “What if all cockroaches come together?” Kant later said he had been misquoted and that his criticism targeted people using fraudulent credentials rather than young people generally.

Many people responded to the comment. The party’s Instagram page gained around 10 million followers within four days. The Cockroach Janta Party formed in May 2026.

India’s Youth Unemployment and Education System

Around 65% of India’s population is below 35 and about 40% of India’s graduates under 25 are unemployed – the urban youth unemployment rate is currently at 14%.

While high school and college enrollment has increased and gender and caste gaps have decreased, the last half decade has not generated salaried jobs in adequate numbers, meaning there are many young, educated people in the labor market but not enough jobs to support them. As the BBC notes, India has expanded education but has “not yet aligned these gains with the creation of productive, well-paying jobs.”

According to Generation India, high levels of youth unemployment can “lead to increased poverty, social unrest, and a greater burden on public resources.” The organization also describes a phenomenon called scarring, in which long periods of unemployment early in a person’s career make it harder to find work later and can lower lifetime earnings.

India’s education system is also extremely competitive. Over 2 million students sat for the 2026 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) – India’s medical exam, for only 130,000 places. Exam leakages required many students to re-take the grueling exams, and these leakages have been connected to dozens of suicide cases in the past few years. Leaks have affected other exams as well. The Cockroach Janta Party is now demanding accountability from the government for the leakages and has called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Government Responses to CJP Protests

JP Nadda, the Health Minister, met with leaders of CJP on 20 July 2026. According to the spokesperson for CJP, Saurav Das, the “10-minute meeting with Nadda ended with” the commitment that the government would investigate the issue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the current prime minister of India, called for creating a secure “public examination system”. According to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, the government took action and arrested 13 people for the exam leakages. Modi also stated that the government had carried out re-examinations successfully.

According to Rijiju, the prime minister stated that everyone should collaborate to ensure that “strict steps are taken, those guilty are punished, and a foolproof system is created” to avoid compromising the future of young people. Some critics have alleged the movement may be linked to opposition parties, citing Dipke’s past association with the Aam Aadmi Party.

When a BBC reporter asked a woman in India why the leakage of the exams was “so upsetting,” she explained that it feels “brutal” when a student succeeds on one exam only to learn it is not the one being counted. The government says an improved, secure system could reduce stress for youth and prevent people from getting an unfair advantage from leakages.

Jobs and Poverty Reduction

The protests have advocated for reform and increased awareness of the significant problems young people in India face, from education to unemployment.

With a majority of India’s population at a young age, the government has an incentive to take action. If India’s government improves the job market after these protests, supporters say it could help lift people out of poverty.

India’s extreme poverty rate has decreased to 5.3% between 2022 and 2023; however, this could be further improved. According to the International Labour Organization, “gainful employment is still the most reliable way of escaping poverty.” Job creation gives people skills, dignity and long-term income while strengthening local economies, and expanding job opportunities and improving working conditions can help reduce poverty.

Looking Forward

The Cockroach Janta Party has advocated for youth unemployment, calling on the government to alleviate the issue, and if the government can improve the future of jobs in India for youth. It has the potential to lift many people out of poverty.

– Sahana Sundar

Sahana is based in Singapore and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash