Activist Sonam Wangchuk ending his 26-day fast late Thursday night ran parallel to a flurry of actions, both bureaucratic and political, amid ongoing student protests over alleged irregularities in NEET.
A lot has happened since last night — Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a key bill will be introduced in the Parliament for stringent punishments against paper leak accused, a new higher education secretary was appointed, the Opposition insisted on the removal of union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and the Cockroach Janta Party said that the protests will continue.
Wangchuk had started an indefinite fast on June 28 seeking accountability from the government on the alleged NEET paper leak and the resignation of Pradhan.
The government’s assurance to Wangchuk, which included a discussion on the issue in Parliament, compensation to those who died by suicide over the NEET paper leak, and no cases against student protesters, was accompanied by other key developments in the matter overnight.
PM announces paper leak bill, higher education secy removed: Key developments
📌 PM vows tougher measures, announces bill
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video message on the NEET row, announced that a bill with provisions for strict action against paper leaks will be introduced in Parliament next week. In a video message, Modi said the proposed legislation will be discussed and finalized at the union cabinet meeting on Friday.
“The cabinet will discuss the issue of paper leaks on Friday and taking suggestions of the cabinet colleagues, further action would be finalized. On Monday, when the second week of the Monsoon session of Parliament will begin, a bill will be brought with provisions for strong action against paper leaks and we will try to pass it as early as possible,” PM Modi said in a video posted to his social media. He said the bill proposes fast-track courts and stricter punishments for those involved in paper leaks.
📌‘Pathetic midnight video’ – Opposition’s criticism
Meanwhile, the Opposition remained adamant on its demands, which it had outlined previously. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called PM Modi’s message a “pathetic midnight video”, while reiterating demand for the union education minister’s resignation.
Referring to PM Modi’s video, Rahul Gandhi said, “Mr Modi, our students are demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. Don’t insult their intelligence with this pathetic midnight video.” He further called for action against those who “beat students” and demanded an apology from the Centre.
📌 Higher education secretary reshuffled
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointed IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar as Secretary of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, replacing Vineet Joshi.
The official government notification on this was released late Thursday night. Joshi has been transferred as Secretary in the Department of Panchayati Raj.
17 metro stations closed, Connaught Place shops closed early
Security restrictions around the Jantar Mantar and nearby areas continued, disrupting commute and leaving residents stranded for hours and forcing them to take longer and costlier routes, PTI news agency reported. At least 17 metro stations were closed in the Capital, according to DMRC.
The New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) advised shop owners to pull down shutters early at 6:30 PM on Wednesday to prioritise worker and public safety. “We were told to keep assessing the situation and decide what we wanted to do regarding closing shops early. I spoke to a group of eight or nine office-bearers, and we decided to shut early,” NDTA President Atul Bhargav said.
📌 Wangchuk breaks fast in presence of union ministers
Late on Thursday, activist Sonam Wangchuk broke his 26-day hunger strike in the presence of union minister JP Nadda and minister of state Jitendra Singh, and his wife Gitanjali J Angmo at the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. The activist said this was the “end of hunger and beginning of accountability.”
In a video message posted to his official X account, Wangchuk said the ministers and members of the Ladakh Apex Body had met him and provided a written assurance on his demands. The government said it was ready for “threadbare discussions to find solutions to paper leaks and educational reforms for exams in the Parliament” and was “positively considering suitable compensations for the suicide victims of recent NEET paper leaks.” The Centre further assured that no action would be taken against peaceful protesters and those who had participated in the July 20 march to Parliament.
📌 Preventive detentions in Capital
Delhi Police detained more than 25 students at Lodhi Colony police station while they were proceeding towards Jantar Mantar with posters for the CJP protest late on Thursday.
Among those held were a student from Jamia Millia Islamia and another from Delhi University. Police termed the action as preventive under the Delhi Police Act to prevent them from joining an unlawful assembly. The South East District Police took preventive action and detained more than 200 people over three days.
Most detainees, picked up from inter-district pockets and border areas, were later released after verification.
📌Delhi Police vs Kejriwal
The Delhi Police and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal engaged in a back-and-forth on social media over speculations of an alleged impending police crackdown on the youths protesting at Jantar Mantar.
The Delhi Police on X refuted any such action, saying, “There is no plan of Delhi police to crack down on the ongoing protest tonight as is being conveyed. You are advised to refrain from spreading or circulating any misleading/ unverified information.” Taking a jibe at this Kejriwal said, “Thank you @DelhiPolice for clarifying that there is no plan to crack down “tonight”. Kindly inform when is it planned.” Kejriwal had earlier raised an alarm over security deployments in Connaught Place.
