Environmentalist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk's health is reported to have worsened on the third day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, which has led to a sharp political response from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been holding Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan to account for the activist's condition.

The development is coming as an ongoing protest calls for increased accountability in the Indian education system and the resignation of the Union Education Minister due to alleged irregularities in competitive exams.

CJP Expresses Concerns about Wangchuk's Health.

As the activist went on an indefinite fast, his blood sugar level fell to 66, which is below the normal range, on Tuesday, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said.

In response to the health update, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka tweeted on social media that Dharmendra Pradhan would be "directly responsible" in case of any mishap to Wangchuk, further adding fuel to the political fire surrounding the protest.

The hunger strike, which started on Sunday, is now in a critical stage as the supporters have continued to gather at Jantar Mantar, expressing concern over Wangchuk's health and reiterating demands for accountability in the education sector.

Why is Sonam Wangchuk on hunger strike?

Wangchuk joined the protest after saying that education has been one of his lifelong concerns and he could not sit back and watch students raise doubts about the credibility of the examination system in India.

The protest is focused on the complaints about irregularities in competitive exams, such as those after the NEET paper leak incident. Demonstrators want more transparency, institutional accountability and reform to restore public trust in the examination process.

At the protest, Wangchuk said, “Education and environment are my issues, truth and peace is my path, justice is my destination.”

The activist also connected the movement with his long-standing environmental activism in Ladakh, saying that accountability of public institutions in both education and environmental governance is needed.

Protest Goes Past Education

The current agitation has gone beyond issues of examinations, CJP said. The movement now aims to gain broader accountability in public institutions and democratic processes, organisers said.

Wangchuk visited Rajghat with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke prior to his indefinite fast to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. The protest officially started with a two-minute silence, representing the organisers' pledge to peaceful and democratic means of protest.

The demonstration has since attracted students, civil society members and farmer leaders, and numbers have been growing steadily in recent days.

"Never Make Anyone Bigger Than the Issue"

Though Wangchuk has become the spokesman for this movement, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had asked the protesters to not let the campaign be about a single person. 

Speaking to supporters, Dipke urged discussion of the broader issues of educational accountability, not personalities. He said the mission of the movement was to bring about systemic change and encouraged the participants to make sure that the cause was larger than the individual leading it.

A Protest Being Closely Watched

Sonam Wangchuk's health is being closely monitored and now the focus is on the government's response to the escalating protest. The hunger strike is one of the most closely watched education related protests in the country, as demands for education reforms, accountability, and transparency keep rising.

It is yet to be seen if the agitation will result in any policy changes, but the poor health of one of the most recognisable voices of the movement has given the ongoing debate on the future of India's education system an added urgency.

In a significant change to its postgraduate (PG) admission process, Calcutta University (CU) has scrapped its centralised computer-based entrance examination for most courses after witnessing a steep decline in applications for the 2026-27 academic session. The university will now admit students to the majority of humanities programmes based on their qualifying examination marks, while selected science courses will continue to conduct department-level entrance tests.

According to university officials, CU received only around 1,400 applications for nearly 4,000 postgraduate seats across the university and its affiliated colleges in the humanities stream. With applications falling well below the available seats, authorities decided that a centralised entrance examination was no longer necessary.

Vice-Chancellor Asutosh Gosh said the university had initially planned to conduct a common admission test. However, since several departments received fewer applications than the number of seats available, individual departments would conduct entrance tests only where required.

For the science stream, CU received approximately 1,700 applications against nearly 2,900 seats, including those in affiliated colleges. As a result, the university will conduct pen-and-paper, multiple-choice entrance examinations on July 14 and 15. Unlike previous years' computer-based tests, this year's examinations will be department-managed and will last 90 minutes, giving candidates more time to complete the MCQ-based papers.

In the humanities faculty, entrance examinations will be conducted only for English and Journalism and Mass Communication, where applications marginally exceed those received in other disciplines. Admissions to all other humanities courses will be based solely on academic merit.

University officials believe the introduction of the four-year undergraduate degree programme under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has influenced students' postgraduate choices. Many students opted to exit after three years with a "Graduate with a Major" degree or preferred one-year postgraduate diploma programmes instead of committing to a two-year master's degree.

The first batch of students enrolled under the four-year degree structure is currently completing its third year, making this the first admission cycle affected by the new exit options. Officials said the unexpectedly low response rate highlights shifting student preferences and evolving higher-education pathways under the NEP framework.

The Bihar government's proposal to introduce a single unified university Act for all state-run universities has sparked strong opposition from teachers at Patna University (PU), who argue that the move could dilute the institution's historic identity, academic autonomy and reputation as one of India's oldest centres of higher education. The state government, however, maintains that the reform is essential to modernise higher education, streamline governance and remove administrative complexities arising from multiple university laws.

The proposed legislation seeks to replace the Patna University Act, 1976 and the Bihar State Universities Act, 1976, along with subsequent amendments, with a common legal framework governing all conventional state universities.

Higher Education Director N K Agrawal said the education department and the Chancellor's Secretariat have initiated the process of drafting a unified Act that incorporates contemporary governance practices followed by universities across the country.

"Different university Acts often create administrative complications. A unified legislation will simplify governance and go a long way in modernising Bihar's higher education system," Agrawal said.

However, the proposal has drawn sharp criticism from the Patna University Teachers' Association (PUTA). Association president Sheo Sagar Prasad warned that bringing PU under the same legal framework as other state universities would undermine its unique legacy and residential character.

He argued that Patna University, established in 1917, has evolved into a premier teaching and research institution whose academic culture differs significantly from that of conventional affiliating universities. According to teachers, reducing PU to the status of a standard affiliating university could weaken its research ecosystem and academic excellence.

Faculty members have also expressed concern that a unified Act could pave the way for inter-university transfers of teaching and non-teaching staff, potentially leading to arbitrary postings and disrupting the university's academic environment.

Established on October 1, 1917, Patna University is the sixth-oldest university in the Indian subcontinent. It initially functioned as an affiliating and examining university for Bihar, Odisha and Nepal before becoming a teaching-cum-residential university after Independence under the Patna University Act of 1951-52.

Besides Patna University and other conventional institutions governed by separate Acts, Bihar currently has distinct legislation for universities such as Nalanda Open University, Aryabhatta Knowledge University, Bihar Agricultural University, Bihar Engineering University, Bihar University of Health Sciences and Bihar Sports University, reflecting the state's diverse higher education framework.

The Congress party has demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and other national-level examinations, announcing a 40-day nationwide agitation that will culminate in a massive student protest in Delhi on August 9.

Kerala Higher Education Minister Roji M John and All India Youth Congress National General Secretary Lenin Prasad made the announcement while launching the Congress' 'Students' Voice' (Maanavargalin Kural) campaign, aimed at highlighting alleged examination malpractices and calling for comprehensive reforms in India's entrance examination system.

Congress alleges repeated NEET irregularities

Addressing reporters at the Chennai Press Club, the Congress leaders alleged that repeated irregularities, including question paper leaks in recent years, have severely undermined the credibility of NEET and other competitive examinations.

Roji M John claimed that the NEET examination scheduled for May 2026 had to be cancelled following an alleged paper leak. He further alleged that similar incidents had occurred during 2024 and 2025, raising concerns about the security and integrity of national entrance examinations.

Referring to earlier controversies, John said that individuals involved in the 2014 NEET paper leak were arrested but questioned the lack of public information regarding subsequent action against those responsible.

Student distress and financial burden highlighted

The Congress leaders argued that repeated disruptions have imposed a significant emotional and financial burden on students and their families.

According to John, many aspirants spend between ₹5 lakh and ₹6 lakh on coaching, study material, accommodation, and examination preparation. He further alleged that repeated examination failures and cancellations have resulted in the wastage of nearly ₹3 lakh crore in public resources.

Criticising the examination system, he said that despite India's ambitions under the Digital India programme, authorities have struggled to conduct high-stakes national examinations without controversy.

Demand for exam reforms

The Congress has called for a comprehensive overhaul of the examination system administered by the Union government.

Its key demands include:

• Resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged accountability failures.
• A transparent and secure mechanism for conducting NEET and other national-level entrance examinations.
• A predictable annual examination calendar to minimise uncertainty for students.
• Stronger safeguards to prevent paper leaks and other examination malpractices.

The party said its 40-day campaign will involve awareness programmes, student outreach initiatives, and protests across multiple states before culminating in a national demonstration in Delhi on August 9.

The latest political campaign comes amid continuing debates over the conduct of competitive examinations in India, with calls from various stakeholders for greater transparency, accountability, and stronger security measures in the country's entrance examination system.

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has announced that he will begin an indefinite hunger strike from June 28, 2026, at Jantar Mantar in Delhi if the Central government does not respond to his demands on education accountability and greater administrative autonomy for Ladakh.

The announcement comes as Wangchuk continues to support the student-led Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which has been protesting over national education issues and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following controversies, including the NEET exam paper leak.

According to Wangchuk, the fast will begin if the government fails to address at least one of the two major demands by June 27, either greater accountability in the education system or action on Ladakh's administrative concerns.

Sonam Wangchuk Links Hunger Strike to Education and Ladakh

Currently in Geneva, Wangchuk announced his decision through a video shared on X from outside the United Nations Office at the Palais des Nations. Referring to the protest site as the "Geneva city's Jantar Mantar," he said it represents a space where peaceful demonstrations are allowed. Standing near the iconic Broken Chair monument, Wangchuk said the site symbolises the struggle for rights and justice.

"I am currently at Geneva city's Jantar Mantar, that is, the area in front of the United Nations where full permission is given for demonstrations," Wangchuk said.

He added: "Behind me is the United Nations office, and then the Broken Chair, which is a symbol of the struggle for rights and for compensation wherever needed."

Education Accountability Among Key Demands

Wangchuk said education accountability remains one of the central issues behind his proposed fast. He has publicly backed the ongoing protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and has previously participated in demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

The CJP movement has been demanding accountability over national education issues and has called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, citing controversies such as the NEET exam paper leak.

Hunger Strike to Begin on June 28 if Demands Remain Unmet

According to Wangchuk, the indefinite hunger strike will officially begin on June 28 if the government does not respond to at least one of the demands by Saturday, June 27.

Besides education reforms, Wangchuk has continued to raise concerns over greater autonomy for Ladakh and has repeatedly highlighted environmental governance and democratic accountability as key priorities. The proposed hunger strike is expected to take place at Jantar Mantar, one of Delhi's designated locations for peaceful public protests.

Why This Matters

The announcement comes at a time when education reforms, examination transparency, and governance issues continue to generate national attention. Wangchuk's decision links these concerns with his long-standing campaign for Ladakh's administrative rights, bringing together two major public issues under a single protest.

Whether the proposed hunger strike proceeds will depend on the government's response by the end of the day today, June 27. 

The University of Delhi is expected to activate its Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) portal this week, allowing candidates to register and fill in their college and course preferences based on CUET-UG 2026 scores.

Academic session from July 21: Delhi University plans to commence the new undergraduate academic session on July 21, aiming to restore a more streamlined admission calendar after delays in recent years.

Admissions based on CUET scores: University officials have reiterated that undergraduate admissions will be conducted solely on the basis of CUET-UG 2026 performance and candidates’ preferences.

The University of Delhi (DU) is preparing to launch its undergraduate admission process for the 2026-27 academic year, following the declaration of the CUET-UG 2026 results. According to university officials, the Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) portal is in the final stages of preparation and is expected to go live this week.

Delhi University attracts lakhs of applicants every year for more than 71,000 undergraduate seats across 79 programmes offered by over 70 colleges.

CSAS Portal Activation Soon

DU Registrar Vikas Gupta stated that final checks of the portal are underway and that students will soon be able to register online. Once activated, candidates will need to:

• Register on the CSAS portal
• Submit personal and academic details
• Fill in programme and college preferences
• Participate in seat allocation rounds based on CUET scores

The university will release seat allotments in multiple rounds, considering candidates' CUET-UG 2026 scores and their selected preferences.

Freeze or Upgrade Options

After each round of allocation, candidates will have two choices:

• Freeze: Accept the allotted seat and confirm admission.
• Upgrade: Retain eligibility for higher-preference courses or colleges in subsequent rounds.

This system allows students to improve their allocation without losing their currently allotted seat.

Academic Session to Start on July 21

Delhi University aims to begin classes on July 21, 2026, significantly earlier than in recent admission cycles.

In 2025, classes commenced on August 1, while admission and mop-up rounds continued until late September. Similarly, in 2024, delays in CUET result declaration pushed the academic session start date to August 29, with admissions extending into October.

University authorities hope that a quicker admission process this year will minimize disruptions and ensure students join classes on time.

Why CUET Matters

Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh emphasized that CUET has created a uniform admission benchmark for students from different school boards.

Before CUET, admissions were largely based on Class 12 marks, leading to concerns about variations in evaluation standards among different boards. The introduction of the Common University Entrance Test has helped establish a standardized and transparent admission process.

Advice for Aspirants

The Vice-Chancellor urged students not to panic during the admission process and advised them to:

• Fill in as many course and college preferences as possible.
• Carefully prioritize their choices.
• Monitor CSAS announcements regularly.
• Complete document verification promptly.

He also clarified that if a student's Class 12 marks change after re-evaluation, updated documents can be uploaded until September 30, with the possibility of an extension until October if required.

Key Highlights

• CSAS portal expected to open this week.
• Admissions based entirely on CUET-UG 2026 scores.
• More than 71,000 seats available across 79 undergraduate programmes.
• Academic session scheduled to begin on July 21, 2026.
• Candidates can choose to freeze or upgrade seats during allocation rounds.
• Updated Class 12 mark sheets can be submitted after re-evaluation.

With the admission process set to begin shortly, thousands of CUET-qualified students are now preparing to compete for seats in some of the country's most sought-after undergraduate programmes at Delhi University.