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

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.

Here is what to know:

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.

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.

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)

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)

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)

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)

A protestor receives a food package from a supporter at the site where thousands have assembled to join a protest called by Cockroach Janta Party in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Piyush Nagpal)

Protestors collect from a pile of assorted food items sent by supporters 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)

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)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine pushed on with its fight against Russia’s invasion under new military leadership Wednesday, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy bowed to public pressure and fired his commander-in-chief.

Ukraine has made significant progress in the war this year, and a rift between the country’s outgoing army chief and its defense minister threatened to derail its efforts. Both men lost their jobs following Zelenskyy’s major government reshuffle last week.

The top-level changes late Tuesday were intended to draw a line under an unwelcome spasm of political turmoil that lasted almost a week and prompted rejoicing in Russia. It was not clear whether Zelenskyy's measures would achieve that goal.

The new army chief, 43-year-old Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, belongs to a new generation of Ukrainian generals who have come up through the ranks during the battle against Russian aggression. He became known for his daring and courage in 2014, the year that Russia seized and illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula — eight years before Moscow's all-out invasion.

Zelenskyy said Drapatyi and other commanders must present an updated defense strategy, including continued reform of the corps system, faster weapon and drone deliveries, stronger air defense against Russian strikes, and a clearer mobilization plan.

There is no sign that the two countries are any closer to a peace settlement, despite U.S.-led diplomatic efforts.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Moscow is sticking to its previous demands. They include Kyiv withdrawing its forces from the four eastern regions that Russia has seized but doesn’t fully control, renouncing any aspirations to NATO membership, and sharply cutting the size of its army, among other things.

Peskov told reporters that the Ukrainian political and military changes reflect strains in Kyiv.

“Kyiv’s regime is trembling from within. It can be seen with the naked eye,” Peskov said.

Neither will the top-level alterations change the front line, he told reporters, claiming that Russian forces are on the offensive.

With the war’s roughly 1,250-kilometer (800-mile) front line mostly off-limits to independent observers, Russia and Ukraine have also engaged in a propaganda battle.

Zelenskyy met separately Tuesday with outgoing defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a 35-year-old tech-savvy entrepreneur credited with swiftly developing Ukraine’s drone technology that has given it a battlefield edge.

Fedorov locked horns with outgoing commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, a 60-year-old veteran trained in the Soviet Union before Ukraine’s independence.

Street protests in Kyiv and other cities demanded Fedorov’s return, viewing him as a key military modernizer, and urged Zelenskyy to fire Syrskyi, regarded as part of the old guard.

Zelenskyy offered Fedorov what he called a respected position in the government that would unify the country’s technology sector. It wasn’t clear if Fedorov accepted the offer -- or whether the latest moves would satisfy protesters and calm the streets.

Fedorov said after his dismissal last week that he had been offered jobs by some global defense tech companies.

Fedorov supported Drapatyi's appointment, calling it a “new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice” and “a voice for change that could not go unheard.”

Fedorov had criticized Syrskyi publicly before his dismissal, saying the general was blocking his reform efforts and needed to be replaced for Ukraine not to fail in its resistance against Russia.

Syrskyi defended his wartime record in a statement Wednesday.

Among other things, he claimed Ukrainian forces had clawed back 743 square kilometers (287 square miles) of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory this year and said he was handing his successor an army that was not only defending but also conducting offensive operations.

It was not possible to independently verify his claim.

Fedorov called Syrskyi to thank him for his military triumphs, including defending the Kyiv region at the time of Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion, the Kharkiv counteroffensive operation later that year and other battles, calling them “already an important part of Ukraine’s history.” But he added that the country must “move even faster and write new chapters, correcting all previous mistakes.”

The political crisis began last Thursday, when Zelenskyy overhauled his wartime government, replacing his prime minister and firing Fedorov after just six months in the post.

The reshuffle immediately drew thousands of protesters into the streets of Kyiv and other cities, framing Fedorov’s removal as Zelenskyy siding with an entrenched military old guard over a reformer.

Zelenskyy said Wednesday that he’s also appointing Maj. Gen. Ihor Skybiuk as chief of the General Staff as part of the overhaul.

The political maneuvers took place against a backdrop of continued deadly strikes by Russia and Ukraine onto each other's soil.

Ukrainian drones overnight struck two more sprawling warehouses of Russia’s major online retailer, Wildberries, in Russia’s southern regions of Krasnodar and Stavropol, Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim and Russian officials said Wednesday.

The strikes came four days after Ukraine’s long-range drones hit massive Wildberries warehouses in the Moscow region and in the Tambov region, killing eight people and wounding dozens, according to officials.

Zelenskyy said, without naming the facilities, that they were used by Russia to supply sanctioned components for the production of drones and navigation equipment.

Russian attacks, meanwhile, have also struck several major Ukrainian logistics hubs and retail facilities over the past week.

Russia attacked Ukraine with four missiles of various types and 216 long-range strike drones overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to the Ukrainian air force.

In the southern Odesa region, a Russian drone killed a woman when it struck a two-story apartment building, regional military administration head Oleh Kiper said.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, shakes hands with new commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Mykhailo Drapatyi during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Rescue workers try to put out a fire of a residential building burning after a Russian air guided bomb strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, new commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Mykhailo Drapatyi looks on during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, shakes hands with new commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Mykhailo Drapatyi during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)