Indian Parliament Speakers Adopt Gen Z Slang in Debate Over Paper Leak Bill

During a discussion of the Paper Leak Bill in the Indian Parliament, members from both the ruling and opposition parties used a range of Gen Z slang terms. Minister Jitendra Singh invoked “FOMO” (fear of missing out) and “M.I.A.” (missing in action), while BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said the bill was “Clocked It”. Others, including MPs Tejasvi Surya, Shrikant Shinde and Congress MP Deependra Hooda, employed words such as “Delulu”, “Red Flag” and the meme phrase “Vaste Guna Huiya”.

The slang—terms like “No Cap” (meaning “I’m being truthful”), “Ghosting” (cutting off contact without explanation), “Situationship” (an uncertain romantic/friendship status) and “Touch Grass” (stepping away from social media)—originates from platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels and Snapchat and has become part of everyday youth communication in India. Experts note that its appearance in formal parliamentary speech illustrates how digital culture is reshaping language and public discourse.