Welcome move: On the Supreme Court and Gen Z protesters
The Supreme Court of India has quashed criminal cases against youth protesters involved in nationwide demonstrations regarding examination reforms and unemployment. The government's request for this action acknowledges the movement's impact and the underlying issues of paper leaks and job shortages.
Why it matters
It highlights a rare instance of government concession to youth-led dissent and raises questions about the selective criminalization of protest in India.
In what should be termed a salutary gesture, the Supreme Court of India, at the request of the Union government, invoked its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to quash criminal cases against the youth who had taken part in nationwide protests seeking examination reforms and government accountability. Led by a group, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), in response to Chief Justice of India’s “unemployment” and “cockroaches” remark — these protests swelled in numbers and reach, forcing the then Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, to resign. Among the demands for halting the agitations was the CJP’s call to withdraw the FIRs against protesters in Delhi and other States/Union Territories, which the Court has granted, while directing the Centre to ensure that no fresh FIRs are registered over the protests in July.
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