Student-led outfit threatens indefinite Delhi sit-in from June 20 if Dharmendra Pradhan is not removed over exam irregularities.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday initiated a fresh phase of its student-led nationwide stir from Pune, demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The agitation, which follows a sizeable rally at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 6, marks a major escalation in public dissatisfaction surrounding alleged irregularities, paper leaks, and technical glitches in national entrance and recruitment exams.

Organisers stated that the agitation will quickly expand from Pune to other major urban hubs, including Lucknow, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Jaipur, and Hyderabad. The youth outfit has issued an ultimatum to the Centre, warning of an indefinite, peaceful sit-in at Jantar Mantar from June 20 if their demand to sack the education minister is not met.

Pune becomes the new flashpoint

The choice of Pune for kicking off the state-level rallies drew considerable student traction on Thursday morning. The city’s prominent coaching and educational hubs saw scattered student groups assembling under the CJP banner. Local authorities deployed additional police personnel around key university premises to maintain law and order, though the demonstrations remained peaceful through the afternoon.

Sonam Wangchuk lends high-profile support

In a significant boost to the movement’s visibility, prominent environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk is expected to join the Pune leg of the agitation. Organisers believe Wangchuk’s participation will broaden the appeal of the CJP Pune protest, transforming it from a youth-centric grievance cell into a larger civic movement for institutional accountability. The party has actively appealed to parents, teachers, and civil society members to join the demonstrations.

Deadlines set for Delhi escalation

Should the Union government choose to ignore the current wave of city-level agitations, the CJP plans to move its base back to the national capital. A major pan-India student convergence is being planned for June 20. "The proposed gathering at Jantar Mantar will not be a one-day affair. It will be an indefinite, peaceful sit-in until the minister steps down voluntarily or is removed," a senior volunteer associated with the campaign stated.

Deep-seated anger over exam leaks

The current friction stems from the June 6 Jantar Mantar mobilisation, which saw thousands of students from various states hitting the streets. The core grievances focus on systemic failures within national-level testing bodies. Repeated disruptions, sudden cancellations, and leaks have derailed academic calendars and left millions of aspirants stranded, severely denting public faith in the country's central educational apparatus.

Digital momentum vs ground reality

Despite garnering massive traction online—including an online petition on the party's website that secured over 800,000 signatures in days—the CJP faces distinct organizational challenges on the ground. Observers note that while the party possesses over 22 million Instagram followers, translating digital outrage into physical booth-level political capital remains a hurdle.

Unlike the structured 2011 India Against Corruption movement, the CJP currently lacks an established pan-India cadre network. Furthermore, the party's platform has expanded rapidly to include disparate issues like infrastructure, taxation, and regional crises, which critics argue might dilute its core focus on educational reform.

Genesis of the unique nomenclature

The unusual name of the party traces back to May 15, following controversial remarks attributed to a judicial bench. During a legal hearing, observations comparing certain vocal, unemployed youth to "cockroaches" and "parasites" attacking the system sparked widespread online outrage.

Responding to the remarks, digital activist Abhijeet Dipke launched the 'Cockroach Janta Party' from the US on May 16 via social media platforms. What began as a symbolic, satirical protest has rapidly morphed into a coordinated pressure group capable of organizing coordinated on-ground rallies across multiple Indian states.

Renowned climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk has officially thrown his weight behind the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), setting a strict deadline for the central government. In a video message released on social media platform X, Wangchuk announced that he will join the group’s scheduled protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 6 if Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan does not step down by June 5 over ongoing student grievances and paper leak scandals.

Activist extends support to CJP

The unexpected alignment between the Ladakh-based reformer and the rapidly growing youth pressure group has injected major momentum into the upcoming demonstration. In his video statement, Wangchuk detailed his recent discussion with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, stating that he found the platform’s intentions to be deeply patriotic and driven by a genuine demand for structural change.

"I spoke to CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke. After talking to him, I felt his intentions are not wrong. He is a patriot and wants change," Wangchuk said, emphasizing that the ongoing issues within the national education system require immediate institutional accountability.

Rising pressure on education ministry

The core demand of the protest centers around the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The CJP, alongside various student bodies, has been calling for systemic accountability following the recent National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak controversy, which affected millions of medical aspirants nationwide.

Activists claim that the government's response—limited primarily to administrative transfers rather than structural changes—fails to address the emotional and financial strain inflicted on students. Wangchuk’s entry into the fray transitions the movement from an online youth campaign into a broader, more formidable civil society challenge for the administration.

Dipke to fly into capital

Meanwhile, Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke is scheduled to return to India from the United States on June 6. Dipke, who had been coordinating the movement digitally while pursuing his higher education abroad, announced that his first point of action upon landing in New Delhi will be seeking official validation for the gathering.

Sources familiar with the matter said that Dipke plans to head directly from the international airport to the Parliament Street Police Station to seek necessary law-and-order permissions for the Jantar Mantar sit-in. He has also publicly appealed to supporters and Delhi residents to meet him at the airport and accompany him in solidarity.

Satirical roots to physical ground reality

The Cockroach Janta Party emerged less than a month ago as a satirical digital movement. It was created in reaction to perceived dismissive comments from higher authorities regarding India's unemployed youth. Thirty-year-old Dipke, a digital media strategist from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar who formerly worked with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during its 2020 Delhi assembly campaign, successfully channeled online youth frustration into a massive social media phenomenon.

While initially dismissed by critics as a hyper-ironic "meme party," the CJP's transition to physical, ground-level mobilization in the national capital has caught political observers off guard.

Apex court maintains distance

The movement’s sudden rise has not been without legal and political pushback. On May 24, the Supreme Court of India declined to entertain an urgent hearing on a petition that sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the operations and funding of individuals associated with the Cockroach Janta Party.

Advocate N K Goswami, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the group’s satirical nature and rapid online growth were tarnishing the image of public institutions, including the judiciary. However, a bench comprising the apex court judges dismissed the urgency, advising the petitioner not to take the satirical movement "so emotionally," thereby clearing the legal decks for the group's current activities.

Security beefed up around Jantar Mantar

Local authorities in New Delhi are reportedly monitoring the situation ahead of June 6. With both a high-profile activist like Sonam Wangchuk and a massive online student base threatening to converge on Jantar Mantar, police presence and barricading are expected to be stepped up around the Parliament Street area.

Central intelligence and local police wings are assessing potential crowd numbers, given the Cockroach Janta Party’s millions of digital followers, as the national capital braces for a highly unconventional showdown over educational accountability.

NEET paper leak: Accused sold papers for ₹5–50 lakh; Latur coaching director's mega school project under scanner

The ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the NEET-UG paper leak case has exposed a deeply entrenched syndicate that sold question papers for anywhere between ₹5 lakh and ₹50 lakh. According to investigators, the racket operated without a fixed rate card, choosing instead to negotiate individually based on the financial background of each candidate's family.

Variable pricing for leaked papers

Sources familiar with the matter said that the gang initially collected only token money from families, retaining blank cheques and original student documents as security for the remaining payment. The financial model was heavily dependent on the actual examination day outcomes.

The gang promised buyers that the bulk of the payment would be collected only if the leaked question bank matched the actual examination paper after the official answer keys were released.

Dispute over physics questions

However, local intelligence units indicate that after the pan-India examination was conducted, several families refused to pay the full agreed amount. Disgruntled parents reportedly claimed that some physics questions did not match the actual paper distributed at centres.

Consequently, some families paid only half the settled amount, assuring the brokers they would clear the balance once the final results were announced.

Midnight raids disrupt collection

The Rajasthan State Organized Crime Board (SOG), acting on intelligence inputs from the Intelligence Bureau (IB), launched sudden raids late in the evening. At the time of the crackdown, the gang was still allegedly actively extorting money from families.

During the ground-level interrogation of a student in Sikar who had allegedly purchased the paper, a broker called the student's phone demanding the pending payment, effectively walking into an agency trap. Subsequent CBI raids at the homes of several students across different states revealed an identical pattern of transactional security.

Mega school project under probe

The investigation has turned its focus toward Shivraj Motegaonkar, alias ‘M Sir’, director of Renukai Career Centre (RCC) Coaching in Latur, Maharashtra. Investigators found that the prominent coaching director was preparing to establish a massive school-college campus on an 8-acre plot in Khopgaon Shivar.

Construction of a multi-storey building was actively underway at the site when local authorities took notice. The CBI is currently probing his primary funding sources, recent land purchases, and extensive financial transactions. The agency has also questioned his close family members to map out the financial trail.

Legal custody and local actions

Following the CBI's aggressive action, the Municipal Corporation in Pune sealed the RCC Coaching Classes of the accused Shivraj Motegaonkar, citing independent commercial violations and tax irregularities. Meanwhile, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court sent five co-accused—Mangilal Khatik, Vikas Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, Yash Yadav, and Dhananjay Lokhande—to judicial custody till June 2.

The court also extended the CBI remand of another key accused, Shubham Khairnar, by five days to unearth the larger distribution network. Investigators were additionally permitted by the court to collect signature samples of Manisha Mandhre and Motegaonkar to verify handwritten notes.

Preparation for the re-examination

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed the extensive preparations for the upcoming NEET re-examination. The minister directed authorities to take strict action against those spreading misleading information regarding paper leaks through fake Telegram channels and social media platforms.

So far, 10 people have been arrested in connection with the pan-India racket, with six of them belonging to Maharashtra. The original NEET-UG examination was conducted across 551 cities in India and 14 international centres, with nearly 23 lakh candidates appearing for the test before its subsequent cancellation due to the leak.

In a stern move today, the Supreme Court imposed a complete ban on the NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook "Exploring Society: India and Beyond Part 2" due to its controversial chapter on judicial corruption. Chief Justice Surya Kant-led bench called it a "deep-rooted conspiracy" to defame the judiciary, ordering immediate seizure of all physical and digital copies. 

Court Slams NCERT, Demands Accountability

The three-judge bench, including Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, took suo motu cognisance after media reports highlighted the chapter "The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society." CJI Surya Kant remarked, "Apology not enough…heads must roll," stressing a thorough probe into those behind the content. The court issued show-cause notices to NCERT Director Dr. Dinesh Prakash Sakhlani and the School Education Secretary, warning of contempt proceedings. 

CJI Kant criticized the textbook for omitting the judiciary's role in upholding constitutional values while focusing on issues like corruption, case backlogs (over 81,000 in Supreme Court, 6.24 million in High Courts), and judge shortages. He said exposing young students to "biased misconceptions" could erode public trust in the institution. 

Key Court Directives Issued

• Immediate Ban and Seizure: No printing, sale, or circulation allowed; NCERT Director and school principals personally responsible.
  
  

• No Teaching from Book: States must ensure compliance; reports due in two weeks.
  
  

• Unconditional Apology: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta called NCERT's initial apology insufficient; a full one must be published.
  
  

• Probe Ordered: Names of authors, syllabus meeting records demanded; guilty authors barred from future work.
  
  

The bench thanked media for flagging the issue, noting hundreds of public calls received.[ 

Government's Response and Book Details

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed regret, stating, "I am very sad... no intention to insult judiciary. Accountability will be fixed." NCERT halted distribution, apologized, and promised a rewritten chapter for 2026-27 session. Only a few of 2.38 lakh copies circulated. 

The chapter discussed corruption's impact on access to justice, judge codes, CPGRAMS complaints (1,600+ from 2017-2021), impeachment processes, and quoted former CJI BR Gavai on transparency. Critics argued it was lopsided, ignoring judicial achievements. 

Why This Matters Now

This controversy erupts amid NEP 2020 textbook revisions under NCF, aiming for civic literacy but sparking debates on content balance. With schools gearing for 2026-27, the ruling safeguards judicial dignity while highlighting curriculum oversight needs. Parents and educators await revised versions, underscoring education's role in nation-building. 

The hearing concluded with CJI emphasizing unity to protect judicial independence. Compliance reports will decide next steps in this high-stakes education-judiciary