Engineer and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was hospitalised after completing a 21-day hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in support of students protesting alleged NEET irregularities. Here's why he joined the movement, the demands behind the protest, and the political response.
Sonam Wangchuk is an Indian engineer, action reformer, climate activist, and innovator from Ladakh.
He is the founder of Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), an organization that has transformed education in the Himalayan region.
He is internationally known for developing "Ice Stupa" artificial glacier technology to help communities store water in cold deserts.
Wangchuk is currently under medical care after being forcibly removed by the Delhi Police from his 21-day hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar.
Wangchuk started an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on June 28, 2026.
He launched this protest in solidarity with students protesting against the irregularities in the national entrance exams, especially NEET.
The protesters are demanding accountability for the NEET question paper leaks and seeking the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Sonam Wangchuk did not originally start the movement. The hunger strike was first initiated by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led party that has been mobilizing students over examination reforms and alleged paper leaks.
Wangchuk joined the movement as a moral supporter and immediately became the party's most visible face because of his national reputation and previous non-violent campaigns.
Wangchuk had completed 21 days of his indefinite hunger strike. On July 18, 2026, he was taken to the VMMC & Safdarjung hospital by the Delhi Police following a Delhi High Court directive citing extreme health deterioration.
Throughout his hunger strike, he reportedly survived on water and salt, losing a significant amount of weight while remaining committed to continuing the protest.
As Wangchuk's health worsened, several opposition leaders visited him at Jantar Mantar to express solidarity.
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal visited Wangchuk on the 19th day of his fast. Kejriwal criticized the central government and said that students deserve justice regarding irregularities in examinations.
NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule visited Wangchuk on July 17. She said the opposition would raise the students' demands in parliament and continue to press the government for accountability in the examination system.
Senior Congress Leader Pawan Khera also met Wangchuk on the twentieth day of the hunger strike. Khera praised Wangchuk's peaceful method of protest and argued that the government should engage with the protesters rather than remaining silent.
Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), stated that the Police personnel stopped him from leaving his friend's house and later manhandled, dragged, and detained him to prevent him from returning to the protest site.
The Delhi Police confirmed his temporary detention during their early-morning crackdown.
Following his release and the forced hospitalization of co-protestor Wangchuk, Dipke went on his own hunger strike to sustain the movement's momentum.
Despite the heavy police deployment, Dipke announced that the CJP's scheduled 'Chalo Sansad' (March To Parliament) on July 20, 2026, will proceed exactly as planned.
Supporters of this protest demand transparency, accountability and fairness in India's education system.
Government authorities, meanwhile, maintain that their priority is safeguarding Wangchuk's life while ensuring public order.
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