Gen Z protests spur government change, but structural reforms still needed, says Sripad Bhat

Gen Z protesters have compelled the Modi government to take action at the operational level, according to B. Sripad Bhat, a writer and activist. During a lecture on the recent students' protest against the NEET-UG paper leak, Bhat emphasized that while forcing Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was significant, it did not equate to structural reform.

The National Testing Agency and NEET remained intact, he noted. To foster lasting political change, civil society must empower Gen Z protesters with a political vocabulary and wider social meaning, Bhat argued. He reminded the audience of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's cautionary remarks about hero-worship in politics leading to dictatorship and the erosion of institutions.

Bhat also highlighted the importance of elders and civil society sharing Ambedkar's warnings with the youth leading the protests. In historical context, Bhat distinguished between social movements and those led by the middle class, pointing out that previous middle-class-driven agitations often strengthened regimes that later undermined democratic institutions.

He urged introspection on why people continue to support such regimes, citing examples from the Emergency era. Bhat contrasted past generations of intellectuals leading street struggles with the current silence of the intellectual class, even as hurried attempts to implement the National Education Policy unfold.