For much of the past four years, South Asia has witnessed an unprecedented wave of youth-led political movements. From Nepal's anti-establishment surge and Bangladesh's student uprising to Sri Lanka's Aragalaya movement, Generation Z has emerged as a formidable political force capable of reshaping governments and national conversations.

India's recent student-led agitation over examination irregularities, spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has inevitably drawn comparisons with these movements. Yet, despite superficial similarities, India's protest represents a fundamentally different model of youth activism—one that seeks institutional reform rather than regime change.

That distinction may ultimately determine whether it leaves a lasting legacy.

Reform, Not Revolution

The defining characteristic of India's movement is its remarkably focused agenda.

Unlike Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, where protesters demanded the removal of entire governments, Indian students concentrated on specific institutional failures—paper leaks, examination transparency, accountability, and leadership within the education ministry.

Their central demands revolved around examination reforms, stronger anti-paper leak mechanisms and ministerial accountability rather than wholesale political transformation.

Such a narrowly defined objective often stands a greater chance of achieving measurable success than broad calls for systemic change.

Learning From South Asia's Experience

The experiences of India's neighbours offer important lessons.

In Nepal, youth anger disrupted traditional politics and helped usher new political faces into Parliament. Expectations were enormous. However, despite leadership changes and high-profile investigations, corruption remains deeply entrenched, while governance continues to face structural challenges.

Bangladesh followed a similar trajectory. Student-led protests succeeded in changing the political landscape, yet subsequent elections largely restored familiar political actors. Many promises of accountability and anti-corruption reforms remain works in progress.

Sri Lanka's dramatic 2022 uprising forced the resignation of political leaders after an unprecedented economic crisis. Yet, despite significant fiscal reforms under the new administration, corruption has proven far more difficult to eliminate than governments.

These cases demonstrate a recurring regional pattern: changing political leadership is easier than transforming institutions.

India's Democratic Context Is Different

India's circumstances differ in important ways.

Nepal and Bangladesh witnessed movements shaped partly by frustrations over political representation and democratic processes. Sri Lanka's protests emerged against the backdrop of severe economic collapse, inflation and shortages that affected nearly every household.

India's examination crisis, while emotionally devastating for millions of students, exists within a functioning democratic framework where institutional reform remains possible through legislation, judicial intervention, parliamentary oversight and sustained public debate.

This provides avenues for change that many neighbouring movements lacked.

The Power Of Non-Violence

Perhaps the most striking feature of India's student movement has been its largely peaceful character.

Despite intense public emotion surrounding examination irregularities, demonstrations remained predominantly non-violent, aside from isolated incidents involving fringe elements.

This stands in sharp contrast to several South Asian uprisings where confrontations between protesters and security forces resulted in significant casualties.

History repeatedly shows that peaceful movements often retain greater public legitimacy and broader societal support.

Beyond Symbolic Victories

The resignation of a minister or the introduction of stronger anti-paper leak legislation should not be mistaken for the completion of reform.

The deeper challenge lies elsewhere.

India's examination ecosystem requires structural improvements in governance, technological safeguards, institutional accountability, examination design and transparency. Stronger punishment alone rarely eliminates organised malpractice unless accompanied by systemic change.

The true success of this movement will therefore be judged not by the scale of its protests but by the quality of reforms that follow.

Can A Protest Become A Reform Movement?

This is the question that now confronts India's Gen Z activists.

Many protest movements lose momentum after achieving their immediate objectives. Others transform into enduring civic platforms that continue influencing public policy long after demonstrations end.

If student leaders remain engaged with policymakers, education experts and institutions, their movement could evolve into something more consequential than a moment of public outrage—it could become a catalyst for long-term education reform.

The Real Test Lies Ahead

South Asia's recent history offers both inspiration and caution.

Youth movements have repeatedly demonstrated that they can challenge entrenched power structures. Yet, replacing leaders has rarely translated into eliminating corruption or strengthening institutions.

India now has an opportunity to chart a different course.

Its student movement has so far focused on fixing an institution rather than overthrowing a government, on demanding accountability rather than political revolution, and on peaceful mobilisation rather than confrontation.

Whether this approach ultimately succeeds will depend less on the protests themselves and more on whether governments, institutions and civil society can convert public anger into lasting reforms.

If that happens, India's Gen Z movement may become notable not for bringing down governments, but for making public institutions work better—a quieter achievement, perhaps, but one with the potential to endure far longer.

Aamir Khan has finally addressed questions surrounding his silence on education reformer and activist Sonam Wangchuk’s ongoing hunger strike, using the opportunity to explain why he generally avoids taking political positions in public.

Speaking during an interaction at the British Film Institute (BFI), the actor said he prefers to remain apolitical, even when commenting on sensitive public issues. While expressing concern for Wangchuk’s health, Aamir carefully avoided making any political statement about the protest itself.

Aamir Khan explains why he stays away from politics

Responding to a question about Sonam Wangchuk’s fast at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, Aamir said he did not want his remarks to be interpreted as a political opinion.

Instead, he chose to focus on the humanitarian aspect of the situation, saying that his concern was for Wangchuk’s well-being rather than the political debate surrounding the protest.

"We are all very concerned about his health and his life," Aamir said, adding that he hopes the activist ends his fast soon and takes care of himself.

His response reflected a conscious effort to separate personal concern from political commentary, reinforcing his long-held preference to avoid aligning publicly with political positions.

Also Read: Sonam Wangchuk "On His Deathbed" as Doctors Warn of Critical Health Risks; Support Grows

Clarifies '3 Idiots' misconception

During the same interaction, Aamir also addressed the widely held belief that his character, Phunsukh Wangdu, in 3 Idiots was inspired by Sonam Wangchuk.

Rejecting the claim, he said neither director Rajkumar Hirani nor writer Abhijat Joshi, nor he himself, knew Wangchuk when the film was being made.

Calling it a misconception, Aamir said the team had no knowledge of Wangchuk at the time and noted that the activist himself has previously clarified that the character was not based on him.

Respect beyond politics

Although distancing himself from political commentary, Aamir praised Sonam Wangchuk's contributions and said his work deserves recognition regardless of any association with 3 Idiots.

By choosing to speak only about Wangchuk's health and correcting factual inaccuracies about the film, Aamir underscored his approach of remaining apolitical while acknowledging the activist's achievements.

His remarks come after several days of social media discussions questioning his silence on Wangchuk's protest, particularly after 3 Idiots co-star Omi Vaidya publicly expressed support for the activist.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has clarified its new three-language policy, stating that students of the Class 10 batch of 2027-28 will have to clear the school-based third language (R3) assessment to receive their Secondary School Examination pass certificate.

While there will be no separate CBSE board examination for the third language, passing the internal assessment conducted by schools will be compulsory for certification.

The clarification comes amid ongoing discussions over the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020-linked three-language framework and a legal challenge currently being heard by the Supreme Court.

CBSE R3 Rule: What Students Need to Know

Under the revised guidelines:

• Students studying in the Class 10 batch of 2027-28 must clear the third language assessment.
• The R3 subject will be evaluated through school-based internal assessment only.
• No CBSE board examination will be conducted for R3.
• Students who fail the R3 assessment must undergo reassessment by their school before declaration of results.
• Passing R3 will be necessary to receive the CBSE Secondary School Examination pass certificate.

The rule aims to ensure that students complete the required language learning component while avoiding an additional board examination burden.

Three-Language Policy: Two Indian Languages Mandatory

According to CBSE’s guidelines, students must study three languages, with certain conditions:

• At least two of the three languages must be Bhartiya Bhashas (Indian languages).
• A foreign or non-native language can be selected as the third language (R3) only if the other two languages are Indian languages.
• Students already studying two non-native languages will receive a one-time relaxation, but they must add one Bhartiya Bhasha.

CBSE said the objective is to encourage multilingual ability and promote the learning of Indian languages while keeping the process meaningful and engaging for students.

Which Students Will Be Affected?

The implementation will vary depending on the student’s current class.

Class 10 Students in 2026-27

Students currently in Class 10 during the 2026-27 academic session will continue under the existing two-language system.

They will not be required to study or clear a third language.

Class 9 Students in 2026-27

Students currently studying in Class 9 will follow the new three-language structure.

They must study three languages, including at least two Bhartiya Bhashas.

If a student is already studying two non-native languages, they will receive a one-time exemption but must add one Indian language as R3.

Class 7 and Class 8 Students

The same three-language framework will apply when these students reach Classes 9 and 10.

Class 6 Students Entering in 2026-27

Students joining Class 6 in the 2026-27 session will follow the three-language policy with two Indian languages.

However, unlike older batches, this group will have to appear for a CBSE board examination in R3 when they reach Class 10.

Students Failing R3 in Class 9 Can Still Move to Class 10

CBSE has clarified that students who do not qualify in the third language assessment during Class 9 will not be stopped from being promoted to Class 10.

However, they must clear the R3 assessment during Class 10 to become eligible for the Secondary School Examination pass certificate.

Supreme Court Challenge Over CBSE Three-Language Policy

The CBSE language policy remains under judicial review before the Supreme Court.

A petition filed by the NGO Friends of People for Active Democracy, along with parents and foreign-language teachers, has challenged the implementation of the CBSE circular.

The petitioners have sought cancellation of the May 15 CBSE notification and restoration of an earlier April 9 notification, which had deferred compulsory implementation until 2029-30.

During an earlier hearing, the Supreme Court declined interim relief and allowed the policy to continue while the matter remains under consideration.

CBSE Defends Language Policy Implementation

Before the Supreme Court, CBSE stated that many affiliated schools already provide access to Indian language education.

According to the board:

• Around 47.3% of CBSE-affiliated schools already offer two or more Indian languages to Class 9 students.
• Nearly 99.19% of schools have at least one Indian-language teacher.

CBSE has maintained that the policy is designed to strengthen multilingual education and promote Indian languages.

Why the Third Language Rule Matters

The updated CBSE guidelines mark a significant change in school education by making multilingual learning a compulsory component of secondary education.

The policy reflects the broader vision of NEP 2020, which encourages students to develop language skills while preserving India’s linguistic diversity.

For students and parents, the key takeaway is clear: while R3 will not have a separate board examination for the 2027-28 Class 10 batch, successfully completing the school-level assessment will be essential for obtaining the CBSE pass certificate.

Expressing concern over the growing mental health challenges among children and young people, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has urged families, schools and communities to play a more active role in building emotional resilience, saying doctors and counsellors alone cannot address the crisis.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Sanmarg Mind Wellness Centre in Nagpur, Bhagwat said increasing screen exposure, declining family interaction and the absence of meaningful conversations within households are making children emotionally vulnerable. He pointed to incidents where students have taken extreme steps following examination failures or family disputes, questioning why young people today appear less resilient than previous generations.

Bhagwat argued that mental well-being should be viewed as a collective social responsibility rather than solely a medical issue. He said parents, grandparents, teachers and local communities all have a role in helping children develop emotional strength, confidence and coping skills from an early age.

Highlighting the need for a holistic approach, Bhagwat advocated combining modern psychological practices with India's traditional knowledge systems. While acknowledging the contribution of Western psychology, he called for the development of an "advanced Indian psychology" by integrating contemporary mental health practices with ancient philosophical texts such as the Yoga Vashistha and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, which he described as valuable resources for understanding the human mind.

His remarks come at a time when concerns over student stress, examination pressure and youth mental health are receiving increasing national attention. Mental health experts have consistently stressed the importance of early intervention, family engagement and supportive school environments in preventing emotional distress among children and adolescents.

Parallel efforts are already underway in some states. In Rajasthan, the Khushishala initiative, implemented in around 1,500 government schools, focuses on strengthening social-emotional learning among students from Classes 1 to 5 while training teachers to identify signs of stress and promote mental well-being. Following encouraging results during its pilot phase, the programme is being expanded to more than 12,000 schools, reflecting a growing emphasis on preventive mental health support within the education system.

The world's largest particle physics laboratory, CERN, has begun a planned three-year shutdown of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to carry out one of the most ambitious upgrades in its history. The modernisation project will transform the facility into the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC), enabling scientists to generate up to ten times more particle collisions and significantly expand research into dark matter, the Higgs boson and the fundamental structure of the universe.

The upgraded collider is expected to resume operations by the end of 2029.

Why is CERN shutting down the Large Hadron Collider?

The shutdown is part of a scheduled long-term upgrade designed to dramatically increase the collider's luminosity—the number of particle collisions produced over a given period.

According to Indian-origin experimental physicist Archana Sharma, Principal Staff Scientist at CERN, the upgraded machine will generate approximately 10 times more collisions than the current LHC.

"The idea behind the shutdown is to increase the luminosity... by a factor of 10 compared to the LHC. Ten times more collisions means an increased production of particles that we are looking for," Sharma told ThePrint.

Once operational, the HL-LHC will produce 140–200 collisions every time two particle bunches meet inside the detectors, compared with about 60 collisions currently.

What is the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider?

The High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) is the next-generation version of CERN's flagship accelerator.

Rather than building a completely new collider, CERN is upgrading the existing 27-kilometre underground ring with advanced technologies, including:

• More powerful superconducting magnets
• Improved accelerating cavities
• Enhanced beam-focusing systems
• Upgraded detector infrastructure

These improvements will allow scientists to collect far larger datasets and observe extremely rare particle interactions that are currently difficult to detect.

Why more particle collisions matter

Higher collision rates increase the likelihood of producing rare particles and previously unobserved physical phenomena.

Scientists believe the upgraded collider could help answer several of physics' biggest unanswered questions, including:

• The nature of dark matter, which makes up most of the universe's mass but has never been directly detected.
• More precise measurements of the Higgs boson, discovered at CERN in 2012.
• Better understanding of forces governing elementary particles.
• Insights into conditions that existed immediately after the Big Bang.

The increased data volume will also improve the statistical precision of particle physics experiments.

Studying the earliest moments of the universe

The upgraded collider will support advanced research into quark-gluon plasma, an extremely hot and dense state of matter believed to have existed microseconds after the Big Bang.

According to Tapan Nayak, Outreach Coordinator of the ALICE Experiment at CERN, the additional data will strengthen research into:

• Quark-gluon plasma
• Hadronic interactions
• Strong nuclear force
• Fundamental properties of matter

Scientists expect these studies to deepen understanding of how matter evolved in the early universe.

A $1.5 billion scientific investment

CERN estimates the upgrade will cost approximately $1.5 billion.

The project involves replacing components across nearly 1.2 kilometres of the collider's 27-kilometre underground tunnel, located around 100 metres below ground.

The new superconducting magnets will focus particle beams more tightly, increasing collision frequency while maintaining the collider's exceptionally high energies.

Research continues during the shutdown

Although the collider itself will remain offline until 2029, scientific work at CERN will continue.

Researchers will focus on:

• Installing and testing new equipment
• Upgrading detectors and accelerator systems
• Analysing enormous datasets already collected by previous LHC runs
• Preparing experiments for the High Luminosity era

Scientists expect the HL-LHC to usher in a new phase of particle physics, offering unprecedented opportunities to explore the fundamental laws governing the universe and potentially uncover discoveries beyond the current Standard Model of physics.