Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk joined students protesting at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, lending his support to the ongoing demonstration over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy.
The protest has been organized by the youth collective Cockroach Janta Party since June 28 and they have been demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The group says the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak has badly affected lakhs of medical aspirants and has called for more transparency and accountability of competitive examinations and justice for affected students.
Protesters are also calling for compensation for candidates affected by the examination controversy and reforms for future incidents to prevent this from happening again. Some of the demonstrators have also called for a new examination and have said the test is not trustworthy, in line with their assertions.
Wangchuk said he joined the protest to stand with the students and stressed that the movement was about protecting the future of India’s youth rather than any individual.
As opposed to being depicted as the face of the campaign, Wangchuk said he was “not a hero” and urged young people to keep demanding transparent and fair education.
The activist also announced plans for a march to Parliament on July 20 if the protesters' demands are not taken up.
The sit-in has defied the protests and police controls on the protest site and concerns among those who participated have been raised about health. Organisers have said that some protesters have deteriorated in health after spending weeks at the site.
As for the size of the gathering, student groups and supporters have welcomed Wangchuk’s participation, saying he has brought into focus NEET aspirants’ concerns.
The protest comes as debate over examination security and transparency continues following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. Demonstrators say they will continue their agitation until the government responds to their demands.
As of now, the Union government has not publicly responded to the latest demands raised at the protest site.
