Sonam Wangchuk ends 26-day hunger strike over exam paper leaks in India
Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended a 26-day hunger strike over a series of examination paper leaks, bringing a high-profile protest to a close late on Thursday. The fast was tied to demands for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and drew attention to anger among students over repeated leaks affecting major exams. Wangchuk said he ended the strike after what he described as a long negotiation over conditions and because of concern about possible violence in the country.
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The protest began on June 28 and was linked to solidarity with the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party, which has been pressing for Pradhan's resignation over medical college entrance test paper leaks. Wangchuk, who is 59, said in a social media post that he would explain the conditions in a separate video. His decision came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he would bring in tougher legislation to check paper leaks.
Modi described the leaks as a matter of great pain for hundreds of thousands of students, underscoring the scale of the issue. The prime minister's statement appeared to mark the clearest official response so far to a dispute that has become both a student grievance and a political pressure point. Wangchuk's fast had become a focal point for wider criticism of how exam security is handled.
The episode matters because exam paper leaks in India can affect access to higher education and public trust in competitive testing. Medical entrance examinations are especially significant because they shape entry into a limited number of places in professional training. A tougher law, if introduced, would suggest the government is treating the issue as more than an isolated administrative failure.
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Wangchuk's protest also reflects the role of public figures in amplifying student-led campaigns. By aligning himself with the Cockroach Janta Party, he helped keep attention on demands that the education minister step down. The dispute has now moved from a hunger strike to the question of whether the government will follow through with legal changes.
What remains unclear is the exact shape and timing of any new anti-leak law, and whether it will satisfy protesters. It is also not yet clear what conditions Wangchuk said were negotiated before he ended the fast. The next developments to watch are any formal government proposal, further student reaction, and whether calls for Pradhan's resignation continue.
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