Sonam Wangchuk Ends 26-Day Hunger Strike, new education secretary to be appointed

July 24, 2026 /Posted byPrajwal EW / 0

Social activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike after receiving assurances from the Centre on key concerns raised during the ongoing protests over alleged examination irregularities.

The fast concluded in the presence of Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh following discussions between government representatives and protest leaders.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday night also announced a key bill introducing stringent punishments for paper leaks and a new higher education secretary was appointed.

Soon after the development, PM Modi released a video message urging Wangchuk to prioritize his health and follow medical advice. The Prime Minister also reiterated the government’s commitment to taking stricter action against those involved in examination paper leaks, promising stronger measures to safeguard the integrity of India’s examination system.

Announcing his decision, Wangchuk said the fast was called off after prolonged negotiations and appeals from several Members of Parliament.

According to the assurances shared with protesters, the government has agreed to continue dialogue on their demands, ensure that peaceful protesters are not targeted with punitive action, and work on reforms aimed at restoring confidence in public examinations.

Despite Wangchuk ending his fast, organisers of the Campaign for Justice in Public Exams (CJP) clarified that the broader protest will continue until their key demands, including greater accountability in the examination system and action against those responsible for alleged irregularities, are addressed. Protest leaders also maintained their demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

It maybe recollected that the hunger strike, which began in solidarity with Cockroach Janatha Party (CJP) and students on exam-related irregularities, had drawn support from opposition leaders, civil society groups and public representatives across party lines. Wangchuk thanked supporters for standing with the movement and appealed for peaceful, democratic engagement as discussions with the government move forward.

Also Read: PM says youth welfare is government’s priority, announces fast-track courts for paper leak cases

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“If Sonam Wangchuk’s fast results only in a ministerial reshuffle, India will have reduced an extraordinary act of conviction to an ordinary political outcome. More important than replacing a Minister is building an education system worthy of our children. India has expanded access to education but missed out on excellence. As long as examinations reward memory, schools will teach memory; if they reward thinking, schools will cultivate thinkers. We need to dismantle the coaching culture, build the world’s best teachers, restore trust in government schools, and ensure educational reform outlives electoral cycles. Education must become India’s first genuinely bipartisan national mission. If this sacrifice awakens the nation to that purpose, history will remember it as the beginning of an education renaissance.”

- Gitanjali J. Angmo, The Hindu, (17/7)

"Education is the foundation upon which a democratic republic builds its future. B R Ambedkar's call to 'Educate, Agitate, Organise' remains a roadmap for an informed and egalitarian society. Over the past 12 years, the Modi government's education policy has been driven by the communalisation, commercialisation and centralisation of education, resulting in a weakening of public education and a crisis in examinations, recruitment and employment. The Ministry of Education has failed to restore confidence, while the National Testing Agency has become associated with repeated controversies, technical failures and paper leak allegations. Behind every cancelled examination lies an enormous human cost, with years of preparation and family sacrifices disappearing overnight. Dharmendra Pradhan bears ministerial responsibility for the repeated breakdown of India's examination system. The struggle is larger than one minister or one government; it is about defending education as a public good, a constitutional right and a means of nation-building rather than ideological control."

- D. Raja, The Indian Express, (21/7)

Sonam Wangchuk Ends 26-Day Hunger Strike, new education secretary to be appointed

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