Beyond Protests: Opposition Politics and India’s Battle Against the Education Mafia

New Delhi : The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government continues to dominate India’s political landscape, while the opposition has struggled to mount an effective challenge on almost every front. Repeated defeats in Assembly elections and two consecutive defeats in the Lok Sabha elections have exposed what many believe is a serious organisational and political crisis within the opposition, particularly the Congress. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today possesses one of the country’s largest grassroots organisational networks, giving it an electoral advantage that most opposition parties have been unable to match.

With limited organisational strength, the opposition has often attempted to build political momentum through issue-based public protests rather than expanding its own cadre base. Critics argue that instead of confronting the BJP politically, opposition parties have repeatedly aligned themselves with movements led by farmers, students, youth and civil society organisations in an attempt to generate anti-government sentiment.

Over the last twelve years, from May 2014 to 2026, hundreds of protests have taken place against the Narendra Modi government. However, four nationwide movements stand out because of their scale and political significance.

The largest was the Farmers’ Protest of 2020–2021, during which lakhs of farmers camped for nearly a year at Delhi’s borders, including Singhu and Tikri, demanding the repeal of the three agricultural laws. The movement concluded after the Union Government withdrew the laws in November 2021.

Another major mobilisation emerged in 2019–2020 against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). The Shaheen Bagh protest in Delhi became one of the country’s longest-running demonstrations, lasting over 100 days and inspiring similar protests led by students and women across several states.

Student and youth protests have also become an important feature of contemporary Indian politics. The 2016 JNU controversy, demonstrations against unemployment, recruitment examination irregularities, the 2022 protests against the Agnipath (Agniveer) recruitment scheme, and more recent Generation Z-led demonstrations at Jantar Mantar all reflected growing concerns among young Indians over education and employment opportunities.

Other major nationwide protests have included Bharat Bandh calls organised by labour unions, demonstrations surrounding the NEET examination controversy, and the prolonged movement led by Sonam Wangchuk demanding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule.

Supporters of the BJP argue that despite these protests, none fundamentally altered India’s electoral outcomes. They also contend that both the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh have faced sustained political campaigns originating from both domestic and international quarters, particularly as Uttar Pradesh moves towards another Assembly election.

They further argue that several decisions taken by the Modi government—including demonetisation of ₹1,000 currency notes, action against shell companies, cancellation of fraudulent ration cards and stricter scrutiny of allegedly fake NGOs—disrupted long-standing financial and political networks. According to this view, these measures contributed to increasing political confrontation, with opposition parties accusing the government of weakening democratic institutions.

Recent controversies surrounding paper leaks and recruitment examinations have once again become major political issues. However, examination fraud and recruitment scams are not unique to the present government. Similar controversies have surfaced under governments led by different political parties over several decades.

One of Uttar Pradesh’s biggest recruitment controversies involved police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) recruitments conducted during 2004–2005 and 2005–2006. Allegations of bribery, manipulation and favouritism surfaced after large numbers of allegedly ineligible candidates were recruited while deserving candidates were overlooked. Following a high-level inquiry initiated after the change of government in 2007, nearly 6,500 police personnel were dismissed after irregularities were established. The matter subsequently reached the higher judiciary, including the Supreme Court.

Another political controversy concerned the repeal of Uttar Pradesh’s Anti-Copying Act during the tenure of former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, a decision that attracted widespread criticism and renewed debates over examination integrity.

Recruitment and examination irregularities have also been reported in other states. During the previous Congress government in Rajasthan (2018–2023), approximately nineteen paper leak cases involving teacher recruitment, police recruitment and other competitive examinations were reported. Similarly, during the UPA government’s tenure between 2004 and 2014, several allegations relating to leaks in medical entrance examinations, including PMT and AIIMS examinations, as well as recruitment examinations at the central level, also surfaced.

These incidents suggest that paper leaks and recruitment fraud are structural problems rather than challenges confined to a single political party or government.

The larger concern is the growing influence of what has commonly been described as India’s “education mafia”—a highly organised ecosystem involving paper leak syndicates, recruitment rackets, fake educational institutions, fraudulent degrees, scholarship scams and commercial exploitation of students and parents.

According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), investigations involving education-related financial crimes, including paper leaks, fake degrees and recruitment scams, collectively involve transactions worth nearly ₹4,000 crore across the country. Authorities believe that these networks operate across multiple states and exploit weaknesses in recruitment systems, higher education institutions and competitive examinations.

Paper leak syndicates have become one of the most lucrative components of this underground economy. Organised criminal groups allegedly obtain confidential examination papers before scheduled examinations and sell them for enormous sums to candidates seeking unfair advantages.

Another dimension involves arbitrary fee structures in thousands of private schools, where parents are allegedly compelled to purchase expensive books, uniforms and study material from designated vendors.

India’s rapidly expanding coaching industry has also attracted criticism. While many coaching institutions operate legitimately, concerns have been raised that some exploit students’ fear of failure by making unrealistic promises and charging exceptionally high fees.

The problem extends further to fake degree rackets and fraudulent B.Ed. and D.El.Ed. colleges that allegedly issue academic qualifications without providing proper education. Scholarship frauds, in which government funds are siphoned off using fictitious students, have also emerged in multiple states.

The Enforcement Directorate has intensified investigations into several high-profile education-related financial crimes.

In one of the largest cases, ED arrested the founder of Al-Falah University for allegedly collecting more than ₹415 crore from students through forged recognition documents and fraudulent approvals. Assets worth nearly ₹140 crore have reportedly been attached in connection with the investigation.

The Bihar Topper Scam involving education operator Amit Kumar, popularly known as Bachcha Rai, remains under investigation under money laundering provisions.

Scholarship scams involving fake beneficiaries in Uttarakhand, particularly in Haridwar and Dehradun, have also attracted ED scrutiny, while investigations have extended to alleged irregularities involving medical institutions, including Index Medical College in Indore.

These investigations indicate that India’s education mafia extends far beyond isolated paper leaks and represents an organised financial network involving educational institutions, intermediaries, fraudulent service providers and criminal syndicates.

Recognising the seriousness of examination fraud, Parliament enacted the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, introducing one of India’s toughest legal frameworks against paper leaks and organised examination fraud.

The Act applies to major central recruitment and entrance examinations conducted by agencies including the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS).

The legislation defines unfair means to include paper leaks, unauthorised disclosure of question papers or answer keys, computer network manipulation, impersonation and organised cheating.

Candidates found guilty of using unfair means may face imprisonment ranging from three to five years along with fines of up to ₹10 lakh.

Individuals, institutions or organised criminal networks involved in large-scale examination fraud may face imprisonment between five and ten years, fines of up to ₹1 crore and recovery of examination-related costs. Offences under the Act are cognisable and non-bailable, reflecting Parliament’s intention to treat examination fraud as organised crime rather than routine malpractice.

While the enactment of a stringent legal framework marks an important step, legislation alone cannot eliminate a deeply entrenched system that has evolved over decades. Effective implementation, financial investigations, institutional accountability and sustained enforcement remain critical to dismantling education mafias that continue to undermine merit, public trust and the aspirations of millions of students.

Ultimately, supporters of the government argue that if the opposition hopes to return to power, it must rebuild its own political organisation and present a compelling alternative agenda rather than depending primarily on movements led by farmers, students or youth. At the same time, irrespective of political affiliation, there is broad agreement that India’s long-term interest lies in decisively defeating the education mafia, strengthening the integrity of public examinations and ensuring that merit—not manipulation—determines the future of the country’s young generation.

The challenge before India is no longer the absence of laws to protect the rights and future of students. Over the years, successive governments have introduced legal safeguards, culminating in stronger legislation such as the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The real test now lies in effective implementation. Investigative agencies must continue to dismantle organised education rackets, but the judicial process must also ensure that those accused of orchestrating large-scale examination fraud, paper leaks and recruitment scams are held meaningfully accountable. If offenders are able to secure quick relief without timely adjudication, the deterrent effect of even the strongest laws is diminished. A coordinated approach involving governments, investigative agencies, educational institutions and the judiciary is therefore essential. Only through consistent enforcement, swift justice and institutional accountability can India restore public confidence in its examination system and ensure that merit, integrity and hard work—not corruption—shape the future of its youth generations.