Sonam Wangchuk ended his hunger strike on Monday after Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda held talks with representatives of the youth-led protest movement pressing for action over exam paper leaks and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The development came as thousands of supporters gathered in Delhi and tried to march towards Parliament despite police restrictions and heavy security.

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The first crack in the deadlock

The protest had intensified after police moved Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday when his condition worsened during the fast.

He had been fasting since June 28 in solidarity with the movement, which emerged after question papers for a national entrance test to medical school leaked in May and forced millions of students to retake the test.

The movement’s supporters camped at Jantar Mantar for more than three weeks. The march attempt drew students and supporters demanding exam reforms and accountability.

The grievance would not be quietly shelved

After the meeting with Nadda, the minister said the talks were held “in a cordial atmosphere” and that “an initial verbal discussion was followed by the submission of a written memorandum by the delegation at around 4 pm.”

Nadda also said, “This morning, for the first time, a proposal came from the protesters to hold talks with the government, and our discussions have been ongoing since 11:50 AM,” and added, “I have requested all the protesters to end their sit-in and assist the administration in restoring normalcy.”

The delegation presented demands including Pradhan’s resignation, while Wangchuk separately asked hospital authorities in a handwritten note to let him join the march and said he would end his fast only if the government accepted responsibility for failures in the education system or if lawmakers assured him the issue would be raised in Parliament.

Has the deadlock truly begun to thaw?

Even after the talks, the protesters’ core demands remained unchanged: the resignation of the education minister, reforms to the examination system and compensation for the families of students who died by suicide after paper leaks.

Authorities had maintained prohibitory orders in parts of Delhi and deployed a large security presence around the protest zone and Parliament area, while the movement’s leaders said they would continue pressing their case.

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FAQs

Q1: Why did Sonam Wangchuk end his hunger strike?

Sonam Wangchuk ended his hunger strike after Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda met representatives of the protest movement and held discussions on their demands.

Q2: What are the protesters demanding?

The protesters are seeking action over exam paper leaks, education reforms, and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.