Modi Promises Free Online Test Prep to Calm Gen Z

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a nationwide digital initiative to provide free competitive examination coaching, attempting to relieve severe financial pressures on middle-class families and address widespread youth discontent.

Speaking from the Red Fort on Saturday, Modi also pledged to deliver artificial intelligence skill training to 10 million young Indians over the coming year.

The major policy shifts follow weeks of intense, Gen Z-led "cockroach" demonstrations sparked by systemic examination paper leaks, rampant education sector corruption, and mounting graduate unemployment.

Addressing the Private Coaching Burden

In his speech, Modi directly addressed the severe financial strain commercial tutoring centers place on Indian households, noting that the intense competition surrounding private institutes has become an overwhelming social burden.

"Coaching classes burden the poor and the middle class," Modi said, adding that "every parent feels that if they do not send their child to a coaching class, they are not a prestigious family."

To eliminate these costs, the government plans to leverage its existing digital public infrastructure alongside top academic talent to establish an accessible, nationwide online learning network.

"And therefore, we have decided to provide free online coaching for various examinations for the youth," Modi stated.

"In the coming one year, we will work to provide AI skill training to one crore youth, so that India’s youth can lead in the AI era," Modi added.

Cockroach Janta Party Movement

The protest movement began as online satire in mid-May after Chief Justice Surya Kant called unemployed youth “cockroaches” and parasites.

Activist Abhijeet Dipke responded by creating the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which gained millions of followers and became a rallying point for youth anger.

Protests intensified after the NEET-UG medical exam paper leak, affecting an exam taken by around 2 million candidates.

The cancellation and retest fueled anger over exam corruption and graduate unemployment nearing 40% among 20-24-year-olds.

Demonstrations at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar led to clashes with police and a hunger strike, with protesters demanding exam reforms and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.

Pradhan resigned on July 25, after which the government introduced tougher penalties for paper leaks, fast-track courts, and a task force led by Nandan Nilekani to reform the testing system.