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Informist, Friday, Jul. 24, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – Activist Sonam Wangchuk Friday ended his 26-day hunger strike demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test examination and other paper leak cases. Wangchuk ended the hunger strike after the government's assurance that no legal action would be taken against the protestors and adequate compensation would be provided to the families of suicide victims in recent medical entrance examination paper leaks.

 

Wangchuk broke his fast in the presence of Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh, and senior leaders of the Apex Body of Leh. Earlier, 65 members of Parliament from different political parties had visited or signed letters urging Wangchuk to break the fast. "This was done after long negotiations on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country," said Wangchuk. "...I urge you all to stay very vigilant about not allowing violence of any kind anywhere," he said.

 

Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he urged Wangchuk to follow his routine as per doctors' advice and regain his health as soon as possible.

 

Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of Cockroach Janata Party, said he was relieved and grateful that Wangchuk has ended his hunger strike after 26 days. "Thank you, sir, for your extraordinary courage and sacrifice. By putting your own life on the line, you awakened the conscience of an entire nation. Your life is far too precious to this country," said Dipke. The Cockroach Janta Party's peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar will continue until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns, he added.

 

Minister Nadda said that the government was positive on not registering cases against those protesting peacefully at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, as well as those participating in the march to the Parliament on Jul. 20. The government has already assured threadbare discussions in Parliament to find solutions to paper leaks and educational reforms for exams, he said. The government is also positively considering suitable compensation for the suicide victims of recent medical entrance exam paper leaks, he said. Wangchuk's decision to end his fast reflected his trust in the Modi government's commitment to students' interests, he said. The government has time and again reiterated its resolve to act firmly against paper leaks and strengthen examination reforms, he said. The interests of the nation's youth remain a top priority for the government, he added.

 

Late in the night, Modi announced that more strict action against paper leaks would be taken at Friday's Cabinet meeting. "I know that paper leaks are no trivial matter. It is extremely painful for millions of students and their parents. And therefore, in the past two and a half months since the paper leak incident, numerous steps have been taken. The culprits have been caught, and they are now behind bars," said Modi. Departments worked tirelessly on Thursday and submitted a draft to him at night, he said. This draft, which included provisions for fast-track courts and stringent punishments, would be discussed by the Cabinet on Friday. After taking suggestions from Cabinet colleagues, it would be given its final shape, the prime minister said. The second week of Parliament begins on Monday, at which time efforts would be made for this Bill to be passed in the House at the earliest," he added. 

 

However, rejecting Modi's late night statement, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, said students were demanding Pradhan's resignation. "Don't insult their intelligence with this pathetic midnight video," he said, adding, "Sack Pradhan. Punish those who beat students. Apologise." 

 

On Monday, tens of thousands of protestors had taken over the heart of Lutyen's Delhi, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Pradhan over irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test examination, and breaking through police barricades to march to Parliament. According to reports, a crowd of 50,000 people, mostly young men and women, challenged security forces at dozens of locations across the New Delhi police district. Police and anti-riot forces responded with lathicharge, tear gas, and water cannon, injuring scores of protestors. The protest has continued since then, with the Cockroach Janata Party terming the resignation of Pradhan as "non-negotiable". 

 

Wangchuk, an engineer, educationist and climate activist from Ladakh, had joined the protest by the Cockroach Janata Party on Jun. 28 and began an indefinite hunger strike. The Cockroach Janata Party, founded by Abhijeet Dipke, has morphed into a political movement, protesting against systemic youth unemployment, the country's paper-leak-ridden education system, and judicial overreach, demanding accountability and structural reforms for Indian youth.  End 

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

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