Well, for lakhs of kids this year, that dream got shattered because of the whole NEET paper leak mess. And right now, one very respected guy, Sonam Wangchuk, is literally putting his body on the line to say “enough is enough.” He’s on day 17 of a hunger strike, and people are genuinely worried about him.
Sonam Wangchuk is that Ladakhi activist and educator everyone talks about with respect. He’s the one who’s done amazing work on climate stuff in the mountains, building ice stupas and fighting for his region’s future. This time, he joined hands with a bunch of young people from the Cockroach Janta Party – yeah, that’s what they call themselves – who’ve been sitting in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. They’re furious about how the NEET-UG 2026 exam was handled. Leaks, cheating scandals, total chaos that affected more than two million students dreaming of becoming doctors. Some kids were so broken they took their own lives. It’s devastating.
He started fasting on June 28, saying he’d only take water and a bit of salt. No food for over two weeks. Friends say he’s already lost more than 8 kilos, his blood pressure is low, and he looks really weak. But when people ask him to stop, he says something like, “I’m weak outside but strong inside.” Man, that line hits hard. It shows the fire he still has even when his body is giving up.
What does he actually want? Simple things that feel fair. The Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, should take responsibility and step down. The families who suffered should get some support. And most importantly, fix this rotten exam system so this nightmare doesn’t keep repeating every year. Wangchuk didn’t jump in just for attention – he waited for the government to respond and only started the fast when nothing happened. Now opposition leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Akhilesh Yadav, and others are backing him and even asking him to end the strike before it gets dangerous. But he’s staying put.
Walking around Jantar Mantar these days, you see students, young volunteers, and regular people dropping by. Some are fasting alongside him in smaller ways. There’s anger, but also this quiet hope that maybe this time someone will listen. One volunteer mentioned the police asked them to remove a shade they put up to protect Wangchuk from the scorching sun – stuff like that just adds to the frustration. Plans are already on for a bigger march to Parliament if things don’t move.
In India, exams aren’t just tests – they decide which college you get into, what career you can dream of, and sometimes even how your family sees you. When the system fails like this, it breaks trust completely. Parents save every rupee for coaching classes, kids study through the night, and then a leak or some scam steals everything. No wonder the young generation is so fed up and why groups like Cockroach Janta Party are getting attention.
Wangchuk has always been about real change, not just talk. Whether it’s protecting Ladakh’s fragile environment or pushing better education in remote places, he shows up. That’s why when he speaks, people pay attention. His health is the big worry now – doctors and friends are keeping an eye, and everyone hopes he doesn’t push it too far. But he and the organizers say their determination is only growing.
Look, hunger strikes are old-school in our country. They make noise when nothing else does. Yet seeing a 59-year-old man who’s done so much good weaken day by day makes your chest tight. The government hasn’t said much directly in response yet, at least not publicly in a way that satisfies anyone. That silence is speaking volumes to the protesters.
This whole thing is bigger than one man or one exam. It’s about whether we actually care about our kids’ futures or if we’ll keep letting the same problems repeat. As July 20 approaches and talk of a march gets louder, I hope the people in power sit down and listen properly. Real fixes – better security for question papers, transparent processes, support for affected students – that’s what’s needed.
In the meantime, my heart goes out to Wangchuk and all those young dreamers still waiting for justice. Life is already tough enough without the system cheating you too. What do you think – does this kind of protest still work these days, or is there a better way?
Sources:
Al Jazeera, Reuters, BBC, DW, Hindustan Times, India Today, and updates from protest organizers at Jantar Mantar (as of July 14-15, 2026).
@Rohit Manral
