The ‘cockroaches’ and the faces behind India’s exam protest movement

Bihar government's decision to withdraw cases against NEET-UG protestors marks the latest chapter in a movement that began with a satirical online identity and grew into one of the country's largest student-led campaigns demanding accountability over examination systems.

The Bihar government on Monday announced that it would not take any punitive or retaliatory legal action against individuals who participated in protests over the alleged NEET-UG examination irregularities before 6 pm on July 26. It said the process to withdraw all FIRs, criminal complaints and show-cause notices linked to the protests would begin immediately, while those arrested or detained in connection with the cases would be released.

Also read: CJP launches online fund for protestors' legal aid after NEET-UG paper leak agitation

The announcement comes days after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which spearheaded the nationwide agitation, called off its protests following the Centre's acceptance of key demands. Earlier on Monday, before Bihar issued its order, the CJP had announced plans to launch a public legal aid fund, saying it feared individual protestors could still face legal action after the demonstrations ended.


From an anonymous satirical social media campaign to nationwide protests that drew students, education reform advocates, activists and opposition leaders, the CJP transformed into the face of a movement centred on examination reforms, paper leaks and accountability.

Abhijeet Dipke

Abhijeet Dipke, who was earlier associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), emerged as one of the central figures in transforming an online post into the wider CJP movement.

Between 2020 and 2023, Dipke worked with the AAP’s social media team, where he created meme-based digital content during the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections. He later served as a communications adviser to the Delhi government’s education department.

While in Boston, Dipke posted on X: “What if all cockroaches come together?”


The post gained traction and eventually evolved into a satirical online community called the Cockroach Janta Party. The group attracted thousands of supporters online and later expanded its activities beyond social media.

After returning to India in June, Dipke helped coordinate protests on the ground. He has said he intends to continue advocating for education reforms even after the demonstrations.

Also read: CJP threatens to 'sit on protest again'; warns govt over alleged police action against protestors

Sonam Wangchuk

Education reformer and mechanical engineer Sonam Wangchuk became one of the most visible public faces of the protest after joining the sit-in on June 28.

Wangchuk, who has previously led campaigns seeking greater autonomy for Ladakh, undertook a 26-day hunger strike in support of demands linked to examination reforms and accountability.

Police removed him from the protest site on July 18 — an incident that intensified attention around the demonstrations and led to larger gatherings in several places.

He ended his fast six days later from a hospital after receiving written assurances that Parliament would discuss accountability over exam paper leaks and that peaceful protesters would not face legal action.

Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka

Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka emerged as two prominent voices associated with the CJP movement. Both helped shape communication and public outreach of the CJP.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Das is an investigative journalist and co-founder of the Climate Action Front.

He was earlier involved in organising a November 2025 protest over Delhi’s air pollution, which was dispersed by police and led to several detentions, according to Bloomberg.

Ashutosh Ranka, who studied at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and later completed a Master’s in Public Administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), was also among the key communicators for the movement.


According to his Linkedin profile, Ranka previously worked as a consultant with McKinsey & Company in London before joining the CJP’s communication team.

Ranka has said that the movement’s focus extends beyond examination paper leaks to broader concerns around education reforms and employment opportunities.

In an interview with NDTV, when asked whether the CJP could eventually enter electoral politics, Ranka said: “Never say never to anything in India.”

The group, however, is not a registered political party.

Teenage investigators who raised questions over exam systems

Before the protests expanded, two teenagers highlighted concerns over vulnerabilities in examination systems.

Nisarga Adhikary, a 19-year-old student from Delhi who describes himself as an ethical hacker, raised concerns about weaknesses in the online evaluation system used for uploading and processing answer sheets.

Adhikary claimed he identified vulnerabilities that could allow unauthorised access and manipulation of records.

Sarthak Sidhant, an 18-year-old from Ranchi, examined the process through which contracts for running digital evaluation platforms were awarded. He said his review of public records revealed discrepancies in procurement procedures.

Their findings added to wider concerns among students about the reliability and transparency of examination systems.

Also read: Bihar govt assures no action against NEET protestors, to withdraw FIRs and release detainees

All India Students’ Association

The All India Students’ Association (AISA) played a role in organising demonstrations and hunger strikes at Jantar Mantar, the main protest venue in Delhi.

AISA national president Neha Bora joined Wangchuk’s hunger strike for more than three weeks.

After the CJP called off its protests, Bora said several demands remained unresolved, including accountability over the July 20 police action and broader changes to the examination system.

Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi initially stayed away from the CJP’s sit-in at Jantar Mantar while criticising the government’s handling of concerns surrounding examinations.

However, after police used tear gas and batons against protesters marching towards Parliament on July 20, Gandhi organised a separate protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on July 21.

He was briefly detained during the demonstration, with images of police personnel carrying him away becoming widely circulated on television and social media.

Dharmendra Pradhan

Dharmendra Pradhan became the focus of the protests after students demanded accountability from the Education Ministry over examination-related controversies.

Pradhan had earlier rejected calls for his resignation and criticised the CJP, describing it as a “B-team of terror groups”.

A long-time political associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pradhan held several important portfolios over the years, including petroleum and natural gas, steel, and skill development.

He was appointed Education Minister in 2021 and continued in the role after the BJP-led government returned to power in 2024.

His resignation shifted attention towards the government’s next steps on examination reforms.

How it all started

The movement centred around the satirical name traces its origins to a controversy over an alleged remark reportedly attributed to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant.

Reports circulating on social media claimed that the CJI had used the word “cockroach” while referring to young individuals, triggering criticism and discussions online.

However, in an interview with Bar & Bench, Justice Surya Kant clarified that the remark was made in the context of lawyers allegedly entering the profession with fake or unrecognised law degrees, and was not directed at students or young people.

“Let me share the background. The matter being discussed concerned lawyers who had entered the profession on the basis of fake or false law degrees. By fake degrees, I mean unrecognised degrees. Some people had never attended law colleges. Sitting at home, they somehow obtained degrees. I am told there are about 48,000 such lawyers in the country whose law degrees were never issued by the universities they claim,” Justice Kant said.

He added that the discussion was focused on the impact of such lawyers on the legal system and explained the context in which he used the term.

“The discussion was about how these fake lawyers have become problematic in the legal system. It was in that context that I said they were virtually like cockroaches. My observation was made only in that context, about where they were coming from and how they had entered the system,” he said.

“It was never about the youth. That is why I said I had been completely misquoted,” he added.

Nevertheless, the term ‘Cockroach’ was later adopted by Abhijeet Dipke and others as the name of an online campaign and protest platform.

The individuals who shaped the movement have left behind a broader debate on the education system. What remains to be seen is how the movement evolves in the months ahead and what shape the CJP takes from here.