Datanomics: Is Cockroach Janata Party a digital buzz or political reality?

Concerns about jobs, employability and economic uncertainty have shaped youth conversations in India and abroad

The rise of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) is a satire against the system on digital platforms, provoked by an alleged statement from a high-profile public servant. It is too early to say whether it reflected the frustration of the youth on the ground. Concerns about jobs and employability have shaped youth conversations in India and abroad. 

 

In India, youth unemployment, after declining from 24.5 per cent in 2020 to 15.4 per cent in 2023, rose again to 17.7 per cent in 2025. Similar patterns appear across several youth-led movements globally. Spain’s Indignados emerged amid youth unemployment of 46.2 per cent, while Nepal’s 2025 GenZ protests, driven by socioeconomic and political frustrations triggered by a social media ban, came when youth unemployment stood at 20.4 per cent. Together, these examples point to how labour market pressures and frustrations over opportunity often intersect with youth mobilisation.

 

Chart 1: India’s youth unemployment has risen again 

  Chart 2: Many young Indians remain outside work and education 

 

Chart 3: Youth movements often emerge amid job stress