Dharmendra Pradhan’s dramatic resignation marked the first instance of a Narendra Modi government minister stepping down amid public pressure. The development highlighted the growing influence of India’s Gen Z. Now, a CVoter snap poll has found that nearly six in 10 young people believe political parties do not understand the concerns of Gen Z, defined as those born between 1996 and 2010.
The survey was conducted against the backdrop of recent student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). It provides insights into how India’s Gen Z views political parties, electoral priorities, nationalism and the role of social media in shaping public opinion. The movement has highlighted the distinct identity and language of the country’s younger generation, and the survey offers a closer look at their concerns and priorities.
Among respondents aged 18 to 35, 58.7% said political parties do not understand Gen Z’s concerns. Only 20.7% believed that political parties do understand them, while another 20.5% remained neutral or chose not to respond. Around 1,270 people participated in the CVoter snap poll.
Interestingly, this perception remained consistent across political preferences.
Among respondents supporting the BJP-led NDA, 54% said political parties failed to understand Gen Z concerns, while 26% disagreed.
The sentiment was even stronger among opposition supporters, with around 64% saying political parties were disconnected from the concerns of India’s youth. Among supporters of other parties, approximately 58.5% shared the same opinion.
EDUCATION, HEALTH TOP GEN Z’S CONCERNS
The recent protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, followed by demonstrations in Punjab and Jharkhand, have highlighted the importance Gen Z places on education. The CVoter survey similarly shows that young voters are primarily concerned with everyday issues.
As many as 53% of respondents identified employment, education and healthcare as their biggest electoral concerns. Inflation ranked second at 13.1%, followed by corruption at 11.9%.
Traditional concerns such as bijli, paani, sadak — electricity, water and roads — were identified as important by 8.2% of respondents. Law and order and women’s safety were the top concerns for 4.8%, while national security mattered most to only 2.7% of Gen Z respondents.
The survey also highlighted the factors influencing the voting choices of young people. About 33.3% said issues would be the primary basis for deciding their vote. The choice of leader came next at 20%.
Only 13.9% said they would primarily vote based on the political party, while just 7.7% identified the candidate as the most important factor.
GEN Z ON SOCIAL MEDIA, NATIONALISM
The findings indicate that social media has a considerable influence on the political views of Gen Z. Nearly half of the respondents, 49.3%, said social media plays an important role in shaping their political opinions.
However, when asked whom they trust most on matters affecting their lives, parents emerged as the clear choice, with 75.1% selecting them. Friends followed far behind at 6.9%, while social media influencers were trusted by 6.8%.
Gen Z also expressed strong support for greater youth representation in politics. Nearly three-fourths of respondents, or 74.6%, said they would vote for younger candidates if political parties fielded them in elections.
The current composition of the Lok Sabha highlights the gap between the age of the political leadership and the younger electorate. The average age of MPs is 56 years, while only 11% of members are aged 40 or below. There are currently only three MPs belonging to Gen Z.
Educational qualifications also matter to young voters, with 59.5% describing a leader’s education as “very important” when deciding whom to support.
Nationalism was another significant consideration, with 49.5% of young voters saying it was important to them.
Caste, however, appeared to have considerably less influence among respondents. Only 24.4% said they would prefer voting for a candidate belonging to their own caste, while 48.2% said they would not make their choice based on caste.
The student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar were also accompanied by videos showing students, including some reportedly below 18, using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior political leaders. Even remarks targeting the Prime Minister’s late mother were seen.
When asked about abusive or derogatory language directed at public figures on social media, 29.1% of respondents said it was “probably not acceptable”, while 21% considered it “completely not acceptable”. At the same time, 36.5% found such language acceptable to some degree, with 21.4% calling it “completely” acceptable and 15.1% considering it “somewhat acceptable”.
