Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Student politics is returning to the centre of India’s political conversation. But what does this new wave of student activism stand for, and can it grow into a broader political movement?
In this episode of What's Your ISM?, The News Minute Executive Editor Sudipto Mondal sits down with student leaders from the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Ambedkar Students’ Association (ASA) to discuss the new opportunities to build student politics, the growing anger on Indian campuses, and the possibilities and contradictions within today’s student movements.
Sudipto and the student leaders also explore the relationship between caste and class politics, Ambedkar and Marx, the Left and Ambedkarite movements, and whether these forces can find common ground. They discuss the recent student protests, the rise of Gen Z politics, the education crisis, privatisation, unemployment, and the demand for student union elections in Karnataka.
The conversation also looks at whether student organisations can build a third front beyond the BJP and Congress, the challenges of organising across caste and class lines, and the role of ideology in sustaining a movement beyond a single protest.
They also discuss the Rohith Act campaign in Karnataka, and how different student organisations came together to push for stronger protections against discrimination in universities.
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Student politics is returning to the centre of India’s political conversation. But what does this new wave of student activism stand for, and can it grow into a broader political movement?
In this episode of What's Your ISM?, The News Minute Executive Editor Sudipto Mondal sits down with student leaders from the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Ambedkar Students’ Association (ASA) to discuss the new opportunities to build student politics, the growing anger on Indian campuses, and the possibilities and contradictions within today’s student movements.
Sudipto and the student leaders also explore the relationship between caste and class politics, Ambedkar and Marx, the Left and Ambedkarite movements, and whether these forces can find common ground. They discuss the recent student protests, the rise of Gen Z politics, the education crisis, privatisation, unemployment, and the demand for student union elections in Karnataka.
The conversation also looks at whether student organisations can build a third front beyond the BJP and Congress, the challenges of organising across caste and class lines, and the role of ideology in sustaining a movement beyond a single protest.
They also discuss the Rohith Act campaign in Karnataka, and how different student organisations came together to push for stronger protections against discrimination in universities.
Like Sudipto’s Ism show? Support him: rzp.io/rzp/tnm-wyi
Subscribe to Newslaundry: pages.razorpay.com/nlsm
Join the NL-TNM Book Club: newslaundry.com/book-club
Join us on WhatsApp: whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va61PEo0QeacOqU9vr2k
Download the accessible Newslaundry app: newslaundry.com/download-app
Follow and engage with us on social media:
Facebook: facebook.com/newslaundry
Twitter: twitter.com/newslaundry
Instagram: instagram.com/newslaundry
