Student anger over an examination scandal has, within weeks, become the most significant youth-led challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government during its third term.
The movement has expanded from campuses to Parliament Street, drawn in opposition leaders and civil society, and triggered one of the largest police crackdowns in recent years.
Here's what you need to know.
The immediate spark came on June 18, when authorities cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) following allegations of a nationwide paper leak.
Students soon broadened their demands beyond the exam itself, arguing that repeated recruitment and examination scandals reflected deeper failures in governance.
By early July, demonstrations had spread across several Indian cities, with protesters demanding sweeping reforms to public examinations, action against corruption in recruitment and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The protest owes much of its momentum to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a movement cum party born on May 28 this year after Chief Justice Surya Kant referred to unemployed youth and online activists as "cockroaches" during court proceedings earlier this year.
The remark was embraced rather than rejected. Young Indians turned the insult into a political identity, launching memes, online campaigns and eventually street protests.
By mid-July, the movement had amassed millions of followers across social media and transformed into an organized nationwide campaign led by activist Abhijeet Dipke.
The biggest turning point came on July 20, when thousands attempted a "Sansad Chalo" (March to Parliament) rally in New Delhi.
Police stopped marchers with barricades, tear gas and baton charges. Nearly 180 people, including protesters and police personnel, were injured.
Images of young demonstrators being beaten quickly went viral, transforming what had largely been an education protest into a broader debate over civil liberties and state power.
Protest leaders have since referred to July 20 as merely a "trailer," warning of larger mobilizations if their demands remain unmet.
The movement entered a new political phase on July 21-22.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, was forcibly removed by police and hospitalized, drawing widespread criticism. Around the same time, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi staged a sit-in in solidarity with protesters before being briefly detained.
Priyanka Gandhi and several opposition MPs also joined demonstrations.
The participation of nationally known political figures transformed what had begun as a student-led agitation into a broader confrontation between the opposition and the Modi government.
As of July 22, demonstrations continue around Jantar Mantar despite heavy security, the temporary closure of 16 Delhi Metro stations and repeated police restrictions.
The movement represents one of the largest expressions of youth dissatisfaction during Modi's third term because it has drawn support from urban students, professionals and sections of the middle class—constituencies traditionally considered favourable to the BJP.
Even so, analysts caution against comparing the agitation with the revolutionary uprisings seen in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Nepal. India's federal political structure, strong regional parties, electoral institutions and fragmented opposition make a nationwide anti-government uprising considerably less likely, even as the protests expose deep frustrations over education, employment and governance.
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