Chandigarh, Aug. 24 -- The cockroach may have become the unlikely mascot of student anger at Panjab University this election season, but for many students, the ballot box is still about something far more mundane, a room in a hostel, decent food, functioning gym equipment and whether the campus feels safe and cared for.

The emergence of the Cockroach Janta Party and the uproar around issues raised by student groups, has brought a large sense of frustration with the university system into the spotlight. Social media has become an outlet for students to voice their discontent, turning what might once have remained corridor conversations into campus-wide debates. While it has given voice to a wider sense of frustration, students say the rea...