The demonstration in Patna, in the eastern state of Bihar, was part of ongoing protests over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), India’s medical school entrance examination, after allegations of widespread paper leaks and cheating prompted calls for greater accountability.

Video shared on social media shows students calling out to officers to use the water cannons on them. Police then turned water cannons on the demonstrators, but instead of dispersing, many of the students began dancing in the street, prompting social media users to describe the scene as “peak Gen Z behaviour”.

The footage has since gone viral, attracting thousands of comments.