Elementary and high school students across at least 10 Indian states are staging strikes and protests over crumbling infrastructure, lack of basic amenities (like water and electricity), single-teacher classrooms, and substandard midday meals in government-run schools. Sparked by a broader youth-led reform movement that previously forced the Indian Education Minister's resignation, this "Gen Alpha" wave sees young pupils demanding basic rights under the Right to Education Act. The movement highlights systemic neglect in rural public education and poses a growing political challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government ahead of future elections.