‘We Are Not Learning Anything’: India’s Gen Z Rage Is a Test for Modi

What the report says

The New York Times reports that recent Gen Z demonstrations in India have put renewed pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over the quality, cost and fairness of the country’s education system. The protests, which drew thousands in New Delhi and other cities, followed anger over a leaked medical entrance exam and ended over the weekend with the resignation of India’s education minister, according to the Times.

The report frames the unrest as a major test for a country whose economic ambitions depend heavily on young people. India has 367 million people aged 15 to 29, the world’s largest youth cohort, but researchers cited by the Times warn that the window to benefit from this demographic advantage may narrow by 2030. Many students and families say schooling is failing to prepare children for higher education or jobs, even as household spending on private tutoring rises.

The Times cites government and independent assessments showing serious learning gaps, especially in rural schools. It reports that many ninth graders struggle to identify the main ideas in basic texts, while large shares of rural eighth graders cannot handle second-grade reading or basic arithmetic. Infrastructure problems also remain: government reviews found thousands of schools without functional electricity, girls’ toilets or science labs, alongside teacher shortages and weak training.

Modi announced an independent task force to review the college entrance examination system, the Times reported, but the government has not laid out broader reforms for school quality, access or affordability. The issue matters because India’s young people are more educated and connected than earlier generations, yet face intense competition, high costs and limited job prospects.