Indian activist hospitalised after 20-day hunger strike over examination crisis

Indian environmentalist and education activist, Sonam Wangchuk has been taken to hospital after completing a 20-day hunger strike.

Wangchuk, 59, began the indefinite fast on June 28 to demand the resignation of India’s Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, over alleged irregularities in the country’s medical school entrance examinations.

The activist had been leading the protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where hundreds of students joined him in calling for greater transparency and accountability in the education system.

Additional demonstrations were also organised by supporters, including members of the online satirical movement known as the Cockroach Janta Party.

In a statement, the Delhi Police said Wangchuk was moved to a hospital in compliance with a High Court directive and based on medical advice after his health worsened.

Police said the transfer was carried out under court orders, although some protesters attempted to obstruct the operation, resulting in a brief commotion at the protest site.

Authorities have also appealed to demonstrators to peacefully vacate the venue.

Footage from the scene showed police officers carrying Wangchuk away from the protest stage as supporters gathered around in protest.

Earlier in the week, the Delhi High Court directed government doctors to monitor Wangchuk’s condition daily after a petition warned that his life could be at risk if the hunger strike continued.

The court stressed that every citizen’s life was valuable and ordered that all necessary medical intervention be provided to preserve the activist’s life.

Before he was taken to hospital, Wangchuk maintained that the movement was about protecting the integrity of India’s education system, saying even small public movements had historically brought about significant political change.

The protest follows a nationwide controversy over India’s medical entrance examinations.

Last month, about 2.2 million candidates were forced to retake the exam after the original test was cancelled over a major question paper leak, further fuelling public outrage over the country’s examination process.

The controversy, alongside separate disputes involving high school examination results, has triggered widespread student protests and drawn support from several opposition politicians.