Flashpoint Accountability: Issue-Centric Mobilization Among Generation Z and the Reconfiguration of Democratic Participation in India

Generation Z is emerging as an influential force in India's evolving democratic landscape. Rather than engaging primarily through traditional party affiliations, many young citizens are increasingly drawn to issue-based forms of participation that focus on concerns such as education, employment, gender justice, climate change, and public accountability. Enabled by widespread digital connectivity and the growing influence of social media platforms, these forms of engagement often intensify during highly visible public controversies and crises. This article introduces the concept of Flashpoint Accountability to explain how specific events can trigger rapid issue-centric mobilization and generate collective demands for transparency, responsiveness, and institutional action. Drawing on the literature on digital citizenship and connective action, the study argues that Generation Z is expanding the boundaries of democratic participation beyond conventional electoral politics. Through digital networks, young citizens are increasingly able to raise awareness, coordinate collective responses, and place public institutions under greater scrutiny. The article further suggests that this shift represents a movement away from rigid party loyalties toward more flexible forms of civic engagement centered on issues and outcomes. Although challenges such as misinformation, performative activism, and uneven digital access remain, issue-based mobilization has created new opportunities for public participation and democratic oversight. Ultimately, the study argues that Generation Z is not disengaged from politics; rather, it is participating in ways that reflect the realities of a digitally connected society. In doing so, it is reshaping how accountability is demanded, negotiated, and practiced in contemporary India. Generation Z; Democratic Participation; Digital Activism; India; Political Mobilization