Sonam Wangchuk, the climate activist and educator, has been on a hunger strike for 19 days as of July 17, 2026, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, a protest that has grown steadily more prominent and politically charged. Wangchuk began the demonstration to demand accountability over controversies surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, commonly known as NEET, which determines admission to medical colleges across India and is taken by hundreds of thousands of students each year. What started as a solitary act of protest has since drawn in farmer leaders, opposition politicians, celebrities and physicians who have raised concerns about his physical condition.
Jantar Mantar, a historic astronomical monument site in the capital, has long served as a designated venue for public demonstrations and sit-ins, making it a natural focal point for activists seeking government attention. On July 17, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait arrived at the site with roughly 500 farmers, a show of solidarity that reinvigorated the agitation. Tikait's involvement, coming from a farming community that has previously organized large-scale protests against government policy, added considerable weight to the demonstration and helped sharpen its central demand: the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The Cockroach Janta Party, which organized the protest, captured the mood on social media with the line "jhukti hai sarkaar, jhukane wala chahiye!" — a phrase suggesting that governments do eventually yield, but only when someone is willing to push them to do so. That sentiment appears to reflect the broader energy building at the protest site as more political and public figures lend their support.
After remaining largely silent, the Congress party entered the fray through general secretary K C Venugopal, who reached out to Wangchuk urging him to end his fast while pledging that the party would continue pressing for Pradhan's removal. Venugopal pointed to what he characterized as a lack of accountability within the Modi government amid the broader collapse of the examination system. The approach signals a calculated position for Congress — expressing sympathy and aligning with the protest's demands without fully absorbing the movement as its own.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took a more assertive stance, sharing the stage with Wangchuk and declaring, "Exam papers are being leaked constantly, day after day. There are irregularities in the papers and flaws in evaluation process." Kejriwal went further, warning that youth anger over the issue could carry real political consequences in upcoming elections, and he publicly endorsed Wangchuk as a suitable replacement for Pradhan — a notably bold statement from a sitting chief minister. Exam-related controversies have periodically shaken public trust in India's competitive testing systems, given how central they are to career prospects for millions of students, and allegations of leaks or evaluation errors tend to provoke intense public reaction.
Concerns over Wangchuk's health have become one of the most serious dimensions of the protest. Attending physician Dr. Satish Lamba has reported that Wangchuk has lost more than 9 kilograms and that his body has entered the second stage of prolonged starvation, a condition associated with significant medical risk if the fast continues without intervention. Hunger strikes have a long history as a form of political protest, and their power often lies precisely in the physical toll they take on the person undertaking them, which can pressure authorities to respond even when direct demands go unanswered.
The protest has also drawn a wide range of political and public figures beyond Tikait, Venugopal and Kejriwal. Their presence, along with growing media attention, has amplified pressure on the government to address the underlying grievances rather than wait out the demonstration.
- Wangchuk's health is deteriorating, having lost more than 9 kg and entered the second stage of prolonged starvation, according to Dr. Satish Lamba.
- Political support is broadening across party lines, with leaders including Sachin Pilot and Dimple Yadav joining the protest.
- Public figures such as stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and actors Swara Bhaskar and Prakash Raj have visited Jantar Mantar to express solidarity.
Adding further gravity to the demonstration is its connection to student suicides linked to the NEET scandal, a grim backdrop that Kejriwal specifically referenced during his remarks at Jantar Mantar. The reference underscores that the stakes of this protest extend well beyond abstract complaints about exam administration; they are tied to real losses of life among students who have been affected by the examination system's failures. For many families following the NEET process, such controversies are not simply procedural disputes but matters with direct bearing on the futures and well-being of their children.
So far, the government has offered no direct response to the demands being raised, issuing no statement addressing Wangchuk's situation and taking no visible steps toward the accountability protesters are seeking. That silence leaves an unresolved question hanging over the demonstration: whether authorities will eventually respond to the mounting political and public pressure, whether the movement's momentum will fade before any concessions are made, or whether Wangchuk's health will deteriorate further before the standoff reaches any resolution. For now, the outcome remains uncertain, with the protest continuing to draw attention from across India's political spectrum.
