The ‘cockroach’ in the machine: How Gen Z is rattling South Asia’s elites

South Asia’s Youth Rising: The Cockroach Generation Challenges Elite Power

Ecorescuezone.com – Across South Asia, a new wave of youthful activism is reshaping the political landscape. Šumit Ganguly, a distinguished professor of political science emeritus at Indiana University, Bloomington and senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, examines how Generation Z is challenging entrenched power structures across the region.

India’s Exam Crisis and the Cockroach Comment

India, which houses the world’s largest young population, has recently witnessed similar patterns of unrest. Despite experiencing significant economic expansion, the nation faces troubling employment statistics. A recent study by Azim Premji University revealed that approximately 40 percent of graduates between the ages of 15 and 25 remain jobless, while 20 percent of those aged 25 to 29 share the same fate.

The situation intensified when Dharmendra Pradhan, India’s education minister, stepped down following enormous student demonstrations concerning widespread examination paper leaks. However, the catalyst for the current movement came from an unexpected quarter. Chief Justice Surya Kant generated considerable controversy after making remarks that many observers interpreted as likening unemployed young people to cockroaches. While the justice subsequently clarified that his words had been misunderstood, the damage was already done. Young Indians had seized upon the comment and transformed it into a powerful symbol for their protest movement.

Nepal and Bangladesh: Precursors to Change

These developments did not emerge in isolation. Similar dynamics have been unfolding across South Asia in recent years. In September 2025, Nepal’s administration prohibited 26 widely used social media platforms, claiming the companies had neglected new regulations designed to reduce misinformation and online hostility. Yet many critics perceived the action as an effort to silence viral videos exposing the extravagant lifestyles of politicians and their privileged offspring. The backlash was immediate and severe, resulting in mass demonstrations that culminated in Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s resignation within days.

Even earlier, in August 2024, Bangladesh experienced a comparable student-led uprising that removed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from power after decades of leadership. The demonstrations originated from a High Court ruling that validated a quota system allocating 30 percent of government positions to descendants of veterans from the 1971 independence conflict. As in Nepal, young people in Bangladesh spearheaded the movement.

“The [exam] papers are being leaked, the rich are paying for their children to pass, and [we] poor people are being left behind … Where are we supposed to go?”

Three Structural Drivers of Unrest

What explains this recurring pattern throughout the world’s most populous region? Three fundamental factors appear to have pushed South Asia’s Generation Z to their breaking point.

The first driver involves economic inequality. While substantial portions of South Asia have experienced remarkable economic growth recently, this prosperity has not been distributed equitably. According to the Paris-based World Inequality Lab, the wealthiest 10 percent of Bangladeshis control 58.4 percent of the nation’s wealth, whereas the poorest half possesses merely 4.7 percent. Nepal presents a similar picture, with 56 percent of its citizens under the age of 30 and roughly one in five individuals aged 15 to 24 unemployed. Many of these young Nepalis hold college degrees and harbor ambitious career expectations, only to face an uncertain future.

The second factor centers on corruption and the erosion of meritocracy. Young South Asians increasingly feel that the system no longer rewards talent and hard work. From preferential treatment in Bangladesh’s job market to examination fraud in India, the perception grows that meritocracy has broken down. As one 23-year-old Indian demonstrator expressed to NPR: “The [exam] papers are being leaked, the rich are paying for their children to pass, and [we] poor people are being left behind … Where are we supposed to go?”

The third element involves technology and communication. Expanded internet connectivity has not only educated citizens about their democratic entitlements but also elevated their aspirations. Furthermore, digital platforms have provided protesting youth with an effective mechanism to surmount the collective action challenges that frequently hinder social movements. Attempts to limit online discourse can produce unintended consequences. In Nepal the previous year, authorities’ attempts to restrict social media usage actually amplified public fury and accelerated mass mobilization.

Looking Ahead

Currently, student organizers in New Delhi have temporarily suspended their demonstrations in what they describe as a gesture of “good faith” following Pradhan’s departure over the weekend.

Nevertheless, the fundamental grievances driving these protests will not vanish quickly. Genuine stability depends on the ruling elite making authentic efforts to tackle the systemic barriers preventing young people from accessing opportunities. Throughout South Asia, political leaders have traditionally celebrated their demographic dividend. They are now learning that this advantage carries a darker dimension: a demographic dividend can swiftly transform into a demographic reckoning.