Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk ends a 26-day hunger strike held in support of the 'Cockroach' youth movement protesting national exam paper leaks. The protests, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, continue despite Wangchuk ending his fast. In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised fast-track courts, a measure protesters call a distraction from systemic corruption.
Wangchuk hunger strike conclusion
- ▪Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike on July 23, 2026
- ▪During the fast, Sonam Wangchuk lost 11kg (24lb) and was hospitalized after being forcibly removed from a Delhi protest site
- ▪Wangchuk began his hunger strike on June 28 in solidarity with the "cockroach movement"
- ▪The government assured Sonam Wangchuk that no legal action would be taken against protesters and that families of students who died by suicide would be compensated
- ▪Wangchuk ended his fast after negotiations with two federal ministers, citing a desire to avert "possible violence in the country"
Exam fraud protests
- ▪The exam leaks, including a medical school entrance test in May, affected approximately 2 million students and have been linked to several student suicides
- ▪Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, condemned the government for excessive police force and suspending internet services
- ▪Following the clashes, police arrested 70 protesters, most of whom have since been released on bail
- ▪On July 20, 2026, tens of thousands of people marched on parliament in Delhi, leading to clashes that injured at least 60 protesters and 118 police officers
- ▪The youth-led protests demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over leaks of major public exam papers
Government response measures
- ▪Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stated the government was committed to addressing concerns and reforming exams
- ▪The Cockroach Janta Party rejected Modi's fast-track court proposal, calling it a "distraction" from systemic failures
- ▪Before the strike ended, Health Minister JP Nadda visited Sonam Wangchuk in the hospital and requested he break his fast
- ▪Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to set up fast-track courts for "swift and stringent punishment" for those involved in exam paper leaks
Security restrictions in Delhi
- ▪The government ordered telecom firms to block mobile internet services in the protest area around Jantar Mantar
- ▪Authorities in Delhi shut down 16 metro rail stations in central parts of the city where protesters were camped
Cockroach Janta Party movement
- ▪The protests are organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth movement that began as an online satire in May
- ▪The CJP's demands include 10 million rupees ($120,000) in compensation for the families of each student who died by suicide after the exam cancellations
- ▪The protests are considered one of the most significant youth-led challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government since 2014
- ▪CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced the protests will continue until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns
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