Everything about India’s Gen Z education protest.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) led a youth protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, from June 2026, demanding education reforms and accountability after the NEET 2026 paper leak and related examination controversies. Sonam Wangchuk ended his hunger strike on 23–24 July 2026. On 25 July, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned; the President accepted it that evening and gave Pralhad Joshi additional charge of Education; CJP withdrew the sit-in after a joint press. By 26 July the stage was cleared. On 27–28 July CJP alleged FIR-assurance breaches then cited Bihar and Assam notifications; the Supreme Court issued interim FIR protections (28 July) and clarified states may close/withdraw cases (3 August). In early August CJP formed a National Working Committee, launched an Independence Day youth petition, and joined Jharkhand recruitment-exam protesters — while compensation and nationwide FIR closure stay pending.

Demands evolved from Dipke’s May manifesto and June exam reforms through Wangchuk’s hunger-strike terms and the 20 July letter to J. P. Nadda. CJP’s standing public list from the 22 July IMPORTANT restatement is: Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation; ₹1 crore compensation for families of children who died by suicide; No prosecution of peaceful protesters; All police officials involved in committing atrocities must be prosecuted. On 24 July Centre–CJP talks, CJP pressed a three-point non-negotiable package (Pradhan resign, ₹1 crore compensation, withdraw FIRs). On 25 July Pradhan resigned — marked met — and after an evening joint press CJP withdrew the sit-in; compensation and FIR / no-action asks remain pending delivery.

Yes. On 25 July 2026 he tendered his resignation as Union Education Minister to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing the NEET leak fallout, students’ futures, and that “anti-national forces” must not exploit the Jantar Mantar situation. That evening the President accepted the resignation and assigned Cabinet Minister Pralhad Joshi additional charge of Education. Students celebrated at the site; CJP later withdrew the agitation after Centre assurances on remaining asks.

After President Droupadi Murmu accepted Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation on the evening of 25 July 2026, Cabinet Minister Pralhad Joshi was given additional charge of the Education Ministry alongside his existing portfolios (Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; New and Renewable Energy). This is a government allocation reported after the CJP sit-in withdrawal; remaining CJP asks on compensation and FIR withdrawal stay pending delivery.

Prominent figures documented here include Sonam Wangchuk, Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, and Gitanjali Angmo — organisers and spokespersons linked to the Jantar Mantar sit-in. External solidarity (politicians, celebrities, activists, farmers, creators) is listed on the Voices page. Independent journalists and small digital outlets who covered the sit-in are listed on the Journalists page. Wangchuk’s hunger strike has ended; on 25 July CJP formally withdrew the street sit-in.

According to public timeline records, Sonam Wangchuk began an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on 28 June 2026 alongside AISA students. He ended the 26-day fast on 23–24 July 2026 after government assurances. After Pradhan’s 25 July resignation and evening Centre–CJP talks, CJP formally withdrew the Jantar Mantar student sit-in.

Yes. On 23–24 July 2026 he ended his 26-day hunger strike at Medanta Hospital after written government assurances reported around peaceful protesters and related asks. The CJP-led street sit-in continued briefly after Pradhan resigned on 25 July, then CJP formally withdrew it that evening after a joint press with the Centre.

Yes. On 25 July 2026, after Pradhan resigned and students celebrated at the site, CJP held a joint press with Union Ministers Nadda and Jitendra Singh and formally withdrew the agitation in good faith, asking protesters to go home. By 26 July the stage was cleared. On 27 July CJP alleged breaches of FIR / no-action assurances and warned it might restart protests if a written guarantee was not shared by Tuesday; overnight it said Bihar and Assam FIR-withdrawal notifications were shared. Through early August the Delhi street sit-in was not reported restarted — activity moved to Supreme Court FIR clarifications, organisation expansion, and state solidarity. Compensation and nationwide FIR closure remain pending — do not treat resignation, Joshi’s charge, site clearance, two-state notifications, or SC process as full delivery.

Not fully, nationwide. After the 25 July joint press, FIR withdrawal was assured but tracked as pending. On 27–28 July CJP cited Bihar and Assam notifications as partial progress. On 28 July the Supreme Court barred coercive action against student protesters without criminal antecedents and ordered release of under-18 detainees; on 3 August it clarified states may close or withdraw protest FIRs in accordance with law, with “criminal antecedents” meaning grave and heinous offences. Treat SC path + state notifications as progress, not complete nationwide delivery of the no-prosecution demand.

Yes. On 27 July 2026, two days after calling off the sit-in, CJP warned it would be “forced to protest again” if the government did not provide a written agreement on FIR withdrawal / no fresh cases by Tuesday and release arrested protesters. Later that night CJP said Bihar and Assam notifications were shared. As of documentation through 9 August 2026, the Delhi street sit-in had not been reported restarted; August activity shifted to courts, organisation-building, an Independence Day youth petition, and Jharkhand solidarity.

Yes. Union Ministers J. P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh held ~two-hour talks with CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka at a neutral venue (Constitution Club / Vithalbhai Patel House in reporting). CJP placed three non-negotiable written demands — Pradhan’s resignation, ₹1 crore compensation for NEET suicide-victim families, and withdrawal of FIRs / no fresh cases — plus a five-point exam-reform charter. CJP said the government expressed in-principle approval on compensation and FIR withdrawal and sought time until Saturday 25 July afternoon on resignation.

Public solidarity documented on this site includes film personalities, opposition politicians, activists, farmers’ leaders, and creators who visited Jantar Mantar, posted online, or spoke in Parliament. See the Voices directory for who, when, how, and archive post links.

In late July 2026, press reported stay-away or conduct notices from IIT Roorkee, the Association of Indian Universities (letter to VCs), IIT Madras, Delhi University, and JNU. This site lists them on the Campuses page (campuses only — not police or government orders) and as dated beats on the timeline.

The posts archive embeds public Twitter / X posts by date (newest first). Every post also has a permalink at /post/{id} so Google can index it and links open the exact post. Timeline and demands entries link to those pages. Instagram and other platforms will be added later. Media stays on each platform — this site does not host the files.

On 28 July 2026 the Supreme Court directed preservation of protest CCTV/drone/bodycam evidence, barred coercive action against protesting students without criminal antecedents, and ordered release of under-18 detainees without such antecedents. On 3 August it clarified that states and Delhi may close or withdraw protest FIRs in accordance with law, and that “criminal antecedents” means grave and heinous offences. The Centre said it was engaging CJP on the legal mechanism. This is a judicial path — not automatic nationwide withdrawal of every case.

In early August 2026 CJP held a strategy meet in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, said it would work as a nationwide pressure group rather than a political party, formed a National Working Committee (Dipke national convener; Das and Ranka co-conveners), launched a petition asking the PM to address youth on education, jobs and cost of living in the Independence Day speech, reacted to Delhi High Court remarks on Jantar Mantar as a protest site, joined Jharkhand recruitment-exam protesters in Ranchi, and framed PSC exams and gig workers as next focus areas. Standing asks on compensation and full FIR closure remain pending.

No. This is an independent documentation site, not affiliated with CJP, any political party, or any government. Content is compiled from public reporting and primary documents. See the Editorial Policy for how we verify information, label claims, and handle corrections.