Sonam Wangchuk, a social activist known for her education protests in the Indian capital New Delhi, is on a 17th day of hunger strike demanding the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the leak of exam question papers. According to activists, the leak has affected millions of students.

The medical school entrance exam, which attracted about 2.3 million applicants, was canceled in May due to exam leaks. A re-examination was scheduled.

The protest movement has received widespread response on social media. Wangchuk is supported by the youth initiative Cockroach Janta Party, founded by 30-year-old Abhijit Dipke. Formed just months ago, the initiative has quickly gained popularity on Instagram, gathering around 22 million followers.

Despite his deteriorating health and losing about 8.5 kilograms, Wangchuk announced that he was ready to continue the fight for up to six weeks, emphasizing the need for deep reforms in the education system, transparency in exams, and accountability.

The protests come amid high levels of youth unemployment and problems with the education system. According to official Indian data, unemployment among 15-29 year olds is around 10%, and among urban youth it is 13.6%.