India prides itself on being the fastest-growing major economy, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of it becoming a developed nation by 2047.
But that promise is not being felt by hundreds of thousands of young Indians, who took to the streets last month in frustration over the lack of opportunities in the world’s most populous country.
The Gen Z demonstrations, sparked by anger over an exam leak scandal, escalated in a matter of weeks into a broader expression of discontent by youths who feel they have been overlooked by the country’s political leadership.
They have also forced a rare retreat by Modi, who changed his education minister and set up a special commission to reform the brutally competitive entry exams for higher education.
But economists said the wave of youth malaise reflected deeper problems with India’s growth model, which will prove much harder to tackle.
