'Dis na just di starting' - India Gen Z protesters force out minister, but wetin go happun next?

In 12 years of Narendra Modi rule for India , only one cabinet minister don previously resign - ova allegations of sexual misconduct.

So education minister Dharmendra resignation on Saturday, afta more dan a week of intense street protests, become defining moment - one many young pipo celebrate as rare victory.

In di words of 22-year-old Sakhi, student activist for Delhi, "for di first time, e feel like say we fit make tins happun through protests".

Soon afta Pradhan quit, social media seize one old video of senior Modi minister wey boast say "resignations no dey happun for our govment", reflecting di confidence of di nationwide youth movement wey bin don demand im exit.

Sakhi say dem grow up reading textbooks wey tok about di importance of dissent in a democracy, "but I no see am around me in di Modi years".

On Instagram, Sakhi post photos and videos of police assaults and detentions alongside reels wey dey mock officers wey stand beside dem. Many dem don view millions of times.

Sakhi say di govment fail to understand di movement momentum becos dem dey out of touch wit di language and platforms of di protests.

"Di govment get a hold on mainstream media, Facebook and WhatsApp. But dem miss Instagram."

Di latest education protests burst for May afta NEET, India biggest medical entrance exam, bin dey cancelled following kwesion paper leak, forcing nearly two million students to retake di test.

More dan 20 students die by suicide, wit dia families blaming di scandal.

Di outrage dey channelled by di satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online campaign wey launch afta India chief justice liken unemployed pipo wit "fake and bogus degrees" to cockroaches.

Di founders bin stage sit-in for Delhi, demanding Pradhan resignation, education reforms and compensation for di bereaved families.

Initially, di protest draw little attention. Dat wan change on 18 July wen Delhi police by force remove and hospitalise hunger-striking educator Sonam Wangchuk.

Two days later, tens of thousands march to parliament for di CJP call, wey come trigger police crackdown.

Videos of baton charges, tear gas and pellet guns spread rapidly online, wey come fuel public anger and swell di protests instead of suppressing dem.

Di discontent among India youth and di courage to voice am on di streets spread to oda parts of di kontri.

Somaya Korde bin dey detained at home after urging pipo online to join a 20 July protest for Mumbai, but go on to attend multiple demonstrations in di days wey follow.

Pradhan resignation, as di 26-year-old tok, "no be di end, but na just di beginning".

"For dis generation, dis na di first time many of us don step out to protest. But we still get larger issues to tok about, and we go still tok about dem," she tok.

Korde, di first woman in her family to graduate in law and a recent civic election candidate, come from a community wey officially dey classified as "backward" becos of dia historic social and economic disadvantage.

Like many young Indians, she see education as her path to better life, but say di NEET paper leak shatter her faith for system wey promise say hard work go dey rewarded.

"Schools and colleges don dey privatised, paper leaks dey happun, even if you finish education, no enof jobs dey. In a democracy, all dis dey raise questions of accountability against di govment," she tok.

Her frustration dey show larger picture.

India get di world largest youth population, yet unemployment among 15- to 29-year-olds rise to 16.2% for June from 13.8% a year earlier, according to govment data.

Even graduates dey struggle: a 2026 Azim Premji University study find say fewer dan 7% of jobseekers secure permanent salaried work within a year, and fewer dan 4% land white-collar jobs.

Di protests become rallying point for young pipo to comot dia caution and voice dia frustration. Among dem na 18-year-old Harshvardhan Kadam, wey get part-time job selling laptops afta e finish school to help support im mother following im father death last year.

On 23 July, a video wey Harshvardhan film during protest march for Mumbai bin go viral.

For di Instagram reel, now viewed 10 million times, a policeman dey threaten to frame am for fake drugs case while e detain am inside a police van. Dem don suspend di constable since den.

"I no wish am to dey suspended," Kadam tell di BBC, "I just want to document how di police bin dey treat me for participating in a peaceful protest."

Now, reflecting on Pradhan resignation e say: "Dis na just di start. Dis wan show say next time di govment go dey scared wen we raise our voices."

Swaraj Priyo, a 29-year-old screenwriter from Guwahati, say years of protesting under di Modi govment don make am to dey disillusioned by di lack of change.

But dis movement, e tok, don restore hope: "Dis movement don bring back space for question and dissent and di reality check say all no dey over."

A growing sense say di Modi govment dey on di back foot dey palpable. Protest sites across di kontri now dey display posters wey dey declare say: "Pradhan na just an example. Na Modi turn next".

But alongside dis bullishness na some kain apprehension.

Varuni Poorva, a 30-year-old aspiring professor from Patna and a student activist for nearly a decade, say Pradhan resignation show say dem fit bring di Modi govment "to dia knees".

But she dey fear "witch hunt" against protesters despite di govment pledge not to act against those wey organise or join di demonstrations.

Ova di past week, she dey look for anticipatory bail to guard against possible arrest. Police don charge more dan 100 protesters with offences including attempted murder, and arrest more dan 40.

Human Rights Watch say under Modi, Indian authorities don "routinely prosecute activists, journalists, and peaceful protesters on fabricated counterterrorism and hate speech laws".

Despite fears of a crackdown, shared by many students parents, Poorva believe say di protests don give young pipo a newfound confidence. With dia deeper frustrations unresolved, she say, e go dey difficult for di govment to return to "business as usual".

For one protest site for Delhi, graffiti capture di mood: "We no get jobs. If you wipe dis one out, we go come back tomorrow".