Student protests must not be hijacked by Opposition

In a healthy democracy, student activism has always been a vital force – a crucible where ideas are sharpened , injustices challenged, and futures forged. But what we are witnessing today is a cynical hijacking of impressionable minds by India’s beleaguered and power-starved Opposition parties, desperate to manufacture anarchy where none exists. The protests over exam irregularities have been completely commandeered by the usual suspects – Congress, AAP, and their ecosystem of professional disruptors – turning legitimate grievances into a street veto.

Genuine student activism strengthens democracy, but when depraved and despondent opposition parties exploit impressionable students for their vested political gains, as is happening now, it does irreparable harm to the very cause of students. These parties, devoid of any constructive agenda after repeated electoral defeats, are using young minds as cannon fodder to create chaos and destabilise a system that is actively reforming itself. Let us be clear: the Modi government has never shied away from dialogue. Union Health Minister JP Nadda himself met the protesting students, extending an olive branch in good faith.

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Democratic maturity demands conversation, not confrontation; reform, not disruption. This year’s unfortunate paper leak incident was unacceptable, and the government acted with decisive speed. Post the leaks, the government has initiated a major systemic overhaul. It was PM Modi’s government that had brought the country’s first-ever legislation against paper leaks. We stand committed to conducting the NEET exam digitally next year to eliminate vulnerabilities once and for all. Unlike the previous regimes that let leaks fester for decades without any accountability or structural fixes, this government is overhauling a flawed system inherited from the past.

While the Opposition peddles victimhood and selective outrage, the facts on youth empowerment under PM Narendra Modi tell a dramatically different story. In the last 12 years, medical and engineering seats have witnessed an exponential rise. MBBS seats have surged from 51,348 in 2013-14 to over 1,28,976 today — an increase of more than 151 per cent. Medical colleges have more than doubled from 387 to over 819. Postgraduate medical seats have grown by over 135 per cent, from around 31,000 to more than 78,000. Recent data from the National Medical Commission shows an addition of 48,563 MBBS seats and 29,080 PG seats just between 2020-21 and 2025-26, with further expansions of over 10,000 seats approved under Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

In engineering, opportunities have expanded significantly through premier institutions, with the JoSAA seat matrix crossing 67,000 seats in 2026. Apprenticeship programmes have scaled massively under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme, engaging over 56 lakh apprentices since 2016, with annual figures now nearing 12 lakh. The Khelo India mission has transformed the sports landscape, supporting over 30,000 athletes with training, coaching, equipment, and financial assistance, directly contributing to India’s record medal hauls at the Asian Games and Olympics.

Emerging sectors are creating unprecedented avenues. India’s space economy is projected to reach $44 billion by 2033, backed by over 400 private start-ups under IN-SPACe. Students are actively involved in designing satellites, payloads, and incubation programmes, while ISRO continues to expand its workforce for ambitious missions like Gaganyaan. The creative economy – spanning animation, gaming, VFX, and digital content – is booming, generating lakhs of jobs. Add to this skilling initiatives like PMKVY, which has trained over 1.64 crore youth, and the picture is clear: this is not mere rhetoric but a silent revolution reshaping India’s demographic dividend into a powerful asset.

Millions of young Indians are quietly building careers in AI, semiconductors, defence manufacturing, green energy, and more. They are the ones driving Viksit Bharat, not those shouting slogans on streets funded by shadowy toolkits. Speaking of which, the so-called “Coordinating Committee” of CJP’s protests have been farcical. It does not represent the aspirations of India’s ambitious youth, who are immersed in the country’s growth story. Instead, it amplifies the voice of an ignorant, entitled fringe that even confuses the Prime Minister with the President of the country.

The very trigger for its formation – a casual judicial reference – exposes their fundamental confusion between the judiciary and the legislature, two distinct pillars of our democracy. This is not student leadership; this is political illiteracy dressed up as activism. Toolkit politics has a limited shelf life. We have seen this script before – from Shaheen Bagh to farm laws to now. Once the sinister motives of Congress and AAP are fully exposed, as they inevitably will be, this manufactured movement will fizzle out like the damp squib it is. The “andolanjeevis” will move on to the next disruption, chasing TRPs and foreign applause, while real India marches ahead.

The Modi government’s commitment remains steadfast and unequivocal: to build a prosperous, fully developed Bharat by 2047 where every young Indian has the opportunity to soar. The silent, determined youth who are studying, skilling, innovating, and contributing know the difference between constructive criticism and destructive politics. They understand that India’s rise is not a zero-sum game but a shared destiny. To the genuine students with real concerns: your voice matters. Come to the table.

Engage with the system that is reforming itself faster than ever before in independent India. Do not let vested interests derail your future for their political avarice. The Opposition’s desperation is understandable — they have nothing positive to offer. But let them not mistake India’s patient democracy for weakness. The youth of India have chosen progress over compulsive protesting. And that choice will define the next two decades.

(The writer is a national spokesperson of BJP and an acclaimed author)