# Sonam Wangchuk on day 17 of hunger strike over exam leaks 2026-08-26T21:46:56+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike in New Delhi since June 28, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over question paper leaks in May that affected millions of students. Wangchuk, 59, has lost 8.5 kg and is too weak to talk, according to his supporters. The fast is in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a Gen Z-led group founded by Abhijeet Dipke that gained 22 million Instagram followers within days. Several opposition leaders, including former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, have urged Wangchuk to end the strike. CJP says it is preparing for a march to parliament on July 20. One protester fainted on Monday and was hospitalised. The education ministry did not respond to requests for comment. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Wangchuk's fast taps into deep anger among India's youth, who face high unemployment and saw a key medical exam cancelled after leaks. The government has not signalled any move to remove the minister, making a climbdown unlikely unless the health crisis forces a change. The march planned for July 20 will test whether online outrage translates into street pressure. ## Coverage - aljazeera.com Leads with activist's deteriorating health and opposition calls, no government comment obtained. This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Abhijeet Dipke, Akhilesh Yadav, Cockroach Janta Party, Dharmendra Pradhan, Sonam Wangchuk Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sonam-wangchuk-on-day-17-of-hunger-strike-over-exam-leaks/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sonam-wangchuk-on-day-17-of-hunger-strike-over-exam-leaks/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/