25 July 2026… CJP’s nationwide movement was at its peak. Thousands of youth took to the streets against the NEET paper leak, forcing the government to bow down. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. CJP ended the protest. So can Gen Z change Indian politics or is the impact also decreasing due to decreasing numbers…

The truth about Gen Z numbers: The declining share of young voters

The first and most surprising thing is that the share of young voters aged 18-29 years is decreasing. According to United Nations (UN) projections, the share of 18-29 year olds in India’s voting age population (18 years and above) is 29% in 2026. It will reduce to 28% in 2029.

This figure in itself is an error, because if you go back in history, you realize that the share of young voters was once very high.

• In 1980, the share of 18-29 year olds in the population aged 18 and above was 39.5%. This is the biggest figure after independence.
• In 1977, the year when a non-Congress government was formed for the first time after the movement against Emergency, this share was 38.9%. That means the young voter of that time was much more powerful than today. Even though the voting age at that time was 21 years, the share of 21-29 was also at a record level.

The number of Gen Z has increased as the population has grown, but their share has decreased. People of other age groups have grown faster than Gen Z.

The share of Gen Z in the entire population is even less

If you look not just at the voting age population but at the population of the entire country, the situation becomes even clearer. UN’s annual estimates show that today the share of people aged 30 years and above in India’s population is much higher. That means, in demographic terms, the political weight of young voters is less than ever before.

This is a big change. In the 1970s and 80s, when the share of youth in the country’s population was at its peak, the impact of youth movements was also at its peak. Now that the stakes have reduced, will the impact of youth movements also reduce?

State game: More in Bihar, less in Tamil Nadu

Another nuance here is that this trend is not uniform across the country. Given the geographical demographic divergence of India, there is a huge difference among the states. According to the report:

• The share of youth aged 18-29 in Bihar is still the same as it was in the entire country during the Emergency. That means Bihar today is at the same demographic stage as the entire country was in the 1970s.
• This share is very less in Tamil Nadu. Only one in five i.e. about 20%.

There are more youth in the northern states and less in the south. This is why the issue of delimitation is troubling the southern states so much, because the states which controlled the population will lose seats.

Example of Tamil Nadu: Less numbers, more impact

It is not necessary that smaller numbers mean less impact. The example of Tamil Nadu has been given in the report. Tamil Nadu has the lowest share of young voters, which is only around 20%. But in the recent elections, the youth compensated for the lack of numbers with the power of ‘persuasion’.

Voters of Tamil Nadu chose the party formed by a film star Vijay Thalapathy. The story is that the youth convinced their parents to vote for that party. This means that youth can change elections not only with their votes but also with their words. The number of youth may be less, but their impact can be greater.

The real power of Gen Z is aspirations

Now coming to the most important part. The UN report says that the most important thing for Gen Z is their aspirations, because the India of 2026 is very different from the India of the 1970s. It is much more urban, much more educated and much richer. Census and government survey data clearly shows this:

Year	Percentage of graduates in the age group 20-29
1991	5.9%
2011	12.8%
2026 (estimate)	26.5%

In 1991, out of every 100 youth aged 20-29 years, only 6 were graduates. In 2026, this number has increased to 26, which has increased more than four times.

The youth of this generation consider themselves better. They feel that they should get better opportunities in their professional life. But when education does not translate into good jobs, they become angry. This is the real reason for CJP’s movement. NEET paper leak was just a trigger. The real thing is that the youth studied and worked hard, but they did not get what they deserved. When the system cheats them, they take to the streets.

Why Gen Z’s numbers are less, but their impact is more?

There are 5 big reasons for this difference:

• Education changed mindset: 26.5% youth are graduates. They know what they want and deserve.
• Urbanization increased connectivity: The youth living in cities are connected to each other. Social media has given them a platform.
• Digital Networking: CJP garners 20 million Instagram followers. This number is not less than any political party.
• Power of Persuasion: The example of Tamil Nadu shows that youth can influence their parents also. Their voice is not limited to just their vote.
• Absolute number increased: Yes, the share has decreased, but the total number of youth aged 18-29 years has increased. In 1977 this number was around 3-4 crores. In 2026 it will be around 25-30 crores.

Then what lesson can we learn from the CJP movement?

According to experts, CJP’s movement is proof that purpose and organization are more important than numbers. CJP proved that when the right issue is found, even declining stake does not matter. In 1977, the youth protested against the Emergency and toppled the government. In 2026, Gen Z protested against the NEET paper leak and forced the Education Minister to resign.

Gen Z can also change Indian politics, provided they stay organized, choose the right issue and strengthen their voice both digitally and on the ground. The strength of Gen Z is not in their numbers, but in their aspirations and anger. As long as this anger continues, Gen Z will continue to take to the streets.