Post-graduate students, writers, artistes and progressive thinkers participated in a one-day hunger strike at Gandhi Bhavan in the campus of the University of Mysore in support of educationist Sonam Wangchuk, in Mysuru on July 20, 2026.
| Photo Credit: M. A. Sriram
Mysuru University Research Scholars’ Association, Federation of Dalit Students, progressive organisations, Dalit groups, and farmers’ organisations staged a one-day hunger strike at Gandhi Bhavan on the University of Mysore campus on July 20 in support of educationist and environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk, Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, and others demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and abolition of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was triggered by the NEET paper leak.
Post-graduate students, writers, artistes and progressive thinkers joined the protest in Mysuru demanding a thorough overhaul of the country’s education system in the wake of the alleged irregularities surrounding the NEET-UG examination, which they claimed to have affected lakhs of students.
Lashing out at the NDA government at the Centre over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and its failure to remove the Union Education Minister, the protesters alleged that several students had died by suicide after being unable to cope with the consequences of the examination controversy.
The protesters stated that the Cockroach Janta Party had taken up the cause of students following the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and was mobilising Gen Z youth with a clear vision for educational reforms. They appealed for public support to the movement, stating that its campaign had unsettled those in power, and offered hope to students seeking a transparent and accountable examination system.
Published – July 20, 2026 05:13 pm IST
