From IAC to paper leaks, anti-system movements pose a unique challenge

Student-led protests over examination paper leaks have become a governance test for the Union and State governments. The Hindu editorial argues that the protests matter not only because of the leaks themselves, but also because anti-establishment movements can erode political legitimacy when they appear to expose a deeper failure of the system.

The Hindu editorial compares the current agitation with the India Against Corruption movement. It says corruption allegations turned into a symbol of governance failure during the later years of the Manmohan Singh government, and recurrent paper leaks now test the BJP-led government’s claims of efficient and transparent governance.