NEW DELHI — A prominent Indian activist pushing for the education minister’s resignation over widespread exam paper leaks reached his 17th day of a hunger strike on Tuesday, as his deteriorating health prompted opposition politicians to beg him to stop.
Sonam Wangchuk, 59, has been fasting in central New Delhi in solidarity with the founder of India’s youth Cockroach Janta Party, a group staging a sit-in demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan step down. The controversy stems from exam leaks that occurred in May, disrupting tests taken by millions of students — an unusual act of defiance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
The Cockroach Janta Party, known as CJP, was founded by 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke. The party describes itself as representing “the lazy, the unemployed, and the chronically correct,” and has quickly captured the attention of young Indians on Instagram, amassing 22 million followers within just days of its launch in May.
Wangchuk was seen lying on a white mattress on a stage before a small crowd, gesturing to reporters that he was too weak to speak. He had previously stated his fast could continue for up to six weeks — unless his health gave out first. A photo shared on the social platform X showed him surrounded by medical personnel, and CJP reported he had shed 8.5 kilograms as of Tuesday, with his “health continues to deteriorate.”
Dipke, speaking to onlookers and online video creators at the protest site, expressed concern for the activist’s condition. “We have been trying to convince Sonam sir to withdraw his hunger strike but he is adamant to continue it,” Dipke said. “Sonam sir is asking us to keep preparing for the march to parliament on 20th July. I feel the government wants Sonam sir and other people on hunger strike to die.”
The protest is being held at the Jantar Mantar observatory, located near parliament. On Monday, a young person also participating in the hunger strike fainted and was rushed to the hospital.
The education minister, his ministry, and the government’s chief spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
Several senior opposition figures called on Wangchuk — an engineer-turned-activist who served as the inspiration for a character in a hit Bollywood film — to abandon his fast. Akhilesh Yadav, a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, wrote on X: “His life is invaluable to the entire world because it embodies a commitment to humanity and the environment that is as profound as his commitment to democracy.”
The protest taps into deep frustration among India’s youth, who are estimated to make up more than half of the country’s 1.42 billion people. Government figures show the national unemployment rate stood at 3.1% in 2025 for those aged 15 and older, but climbed to nearly 10% among people aged 15 to 29, and reached 13.6% in urban areas.
Anger over the exam leaks has been particularly intense after the scandal led to the cancellation of a medical college entrance examination that had been taken by 2.3 million candidates. That test was eventually rescheduled and held last month.
