Jantar Mantar protests: Were we seeing reality or only what we liked seeing?
This article reflects on the 2026 student protests in India following a national exam leak, using the event to analyze how social media algorithms shape public perception. It argues that recommendation engines prioritize engagement over information, leading to polarized interpretations of the same events.
Why it matters
It provides a critical look at how algorithmic content curation influences democratic discourse and social polarization.
In India, late May 2026 ‘National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, got leaked and in days anger over the leak grew into a nationwide student movement, supported by a self-mocking name, the Cockroach Janta Party, after a dismissive remark made comparing young people to pests. By June it had filled not only Jantar Mantar, a permitted area to protest, but spilled over to other parts of the country. Students went on hunger strike, an opposition MP was briefly detained, and more such events happened.
Police response to curb the alleged instability was tear gas and baton charges. What began as frustration and anger over an exam leak, turned into one of the sharpest democratic challenges that the government has faced in years. Most of us watched it unfold in the same manner we consume or watch everything now, through our phones!
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