EducationAugust 31, 2026

India’s Gen Z 'Cockroaches': A Viral Movement That Forced Change

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② Start Lesson

Key Vocabulary

protest/prəˈtɛst/

a public action to show disagreement

"Students joined a protest in the city."

leader/ˈliː.dər/

a person who guides a group

"Abhijeet Dipke was a leader of the group."

resign/rɪˈzaɪn/

to leave a job or position

"The minister decided to resign."

Listening

India’s Gen Z 'Cockroaches': A Viral Movement That Forced Change

In May 2026, India's Supreme Court chief justice used the word 'cockroaches' for some young people. Many young people felt angry and made a joke group online. A Boston University student, Abhijeet Dipke, started the Cockroach Janta Party.

The group used Instagram and short videos. The account grew fast and had more than 22 million followers. Hundreds of young people marched to Delhi and camped at Jantar Mantar. They asked for the education minister to quit because of exam leaks and problems.

The protests went on for weeks. On July 25, 2026, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. After that the Cockroach movement stopped the big street protests.

107 words

Quiz

1. Who started the Cockroach Janta Party?

2. Where did protesters camp in New Delhi?

3. When did the Education Minister resign?

Reading Practice

Read the article from the Listening section aloud. Your AI teacher will give you pronunciation feedback.

Discussion

Do you use social media to learn about news? Why or why not?

Have you ever joined a public event or protest? What happened?

What do you think when young people organize with humour online?