'CJP Protest: The Rise Of Fearless Youth' by Jyoti Punwani

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Sukla Sen

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Jul 23, 2026, 11:11:12 PM (5 days ago) Jul 23
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The essential fact that defines this agitation is that though at least two leftist student outfits, viz. AISA and, perhaps to a lesser extent, the SFI are participants in this ongoing protest -- nominally led by a newborn political party that has named itself, rather weirdly, as "Cockroach Janata Party" -- the overwhelming bulk who joined on the 20th is constituted of "non-political" youth. And quite consciously so.
They've so unreservedly joined primarily because in their consciousness the CJP doesn't register as a "political party", despite Abhijeet Dipke's full-throated call for dethronement of the BJP and installation of the (barely existing) CJP in its stead.
Also noteworthy is that a significant number is from the (much) better-off sections.

The very contrasting outcome, despite decent turnouts, of Rahul Gandhi's much longer persistent efforts to mobilise students on a bunch of related and relevant issues including "paper leak" is too conspicuous to be missed.

The aversion to "politics" and political banners is all too evident.
So is the accumulated frustration, disaffection and rage that has now found an outlet.
Many, or maybe most, of them were BJP supporters till yesterday.
The brutal police repression unleashed on them may therefore very well turn out to be too costly a miscalculation.
(The unfolding pictures outside Delhi may be somewhat different though.)

Truly amazing, however, is that despite all the savage brutalities, the protesting spirits just refuse to be cowed down!

The write-up above has wonderfully captured all that. In its very own distinctive way.

[Additional suggested stuff:

Rahul Gandhi's Persistent Campaign on Paper Leak:

A Good Thumbnail Sketch of the CJP:

A Rather Instructive Profile of a Very Ordinary Dalit Supporter:

A Short List of Police Atrocities as Made Out in a Petition before the Delhi High Court:

A few video documentation of the police atrocities:

The Latest: 
I. AA. PM Announces Fast-track Courts (twenty-five days after the launch of protest hunger strike by Sonam Wangchuk): <https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pm-modi-cjp-protest-fast-track-courts-justice-neet-paper-leak-cases-10799458/>.
BB. Further Follow-up Announcement:<https://x.com/i/status/2080357811662492096>.
(Suggestive of nervousness.)
II. Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders at Gandhi Smriti to solidarise with the protesting students: 
III. Abhijeet Dipke sticks to the demand of resignation of the concerned minister: <https://youtu.be/nzCdv5xbFTE>. As did Rahul Gandhi previous evening.

And, finally, two telling comments: <https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18LEYBibFB/>.

Provided below, for ready reference, is a very cursory account of the "paper leak" controversy.

AA. The (subsequently cancelled) NEET-UG 2026 was held on May 3 2026. It was officially declared cancelled by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 12 2026.
(That is 9 days after the exam.)
BB. NEET-UG 2026 paper leak primarily came to light through the actions of a whistleblower, a chemistry teacher named Shashikant Suthar from Sikar, Rajasthan.
After the exam on May 3, Suthar solved the paper for his students and was later shown a digital PDF circulating on encrypted channels. Upon cross-referencing, he discovered an exact match for 45 Chemistry questions. He then collaborated with a Biology teacher who confirmed an exact match for another 90 questions.
Suthar immediately flagged this concrete evidence to the National Testing Agency (NTA). Subsequent law enforcement raids and investigations by the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) exposed a massive inter-state network. They discovered that a 150-page digital "Guess Paper" containing roughly 410 questions had been widely leaked via WhatsApp and Telegram—originating from an NTA panel translator—with up to 140 questions directly matching the official master set.
CC. The National Testing Agency (NTA) was first formally informed about the leak on May 7, 2026, through a joint email containing concrete evidence sent by the local Sikar administration, police, and coaching officials.
DD. The first official First Information Report (FIR) regarding the multi-state solver gang operations was registered on May 12, 2026.
EE. The NTA finally declared the exam cancelled on May 12, 2026, after reviewing irrefutable investigative findings shared by law enforcement and central agencies. This evidence proved that a "guess paper" widely circulated on encrypted apps prior to the exam directly matched up to 140 questions from the official master set, completely compromising the sanctity of the examination.
FF. The NTA's initial response was to deny any leak occurred and aggressively brush it aside.
Immediately after receiving the May 7 inputs, the NTA publicly maintained that the exam had been conducted under flawless security, including biometric checks and AI-assisted CCTV. They dismissed the viral "guess paper" as a mere rumor or fake content generated by organized cheating rackets to extort money from anxious students.
GG. The SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) failures that led to the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak highlighted a critical "breach in the command chain". Central investigators and the CBI exposed several glaring gaps in how the NTA handled the examination process:
* Vulnerable Paper Setting & Translation: The leak originated directly from the top of the chain. A panel translator contracted by the NTA to translate the paper into regional languages managed to copy and leak the questions as early as April 23.
* Lack of Isolation Protocols: The NTA failed to enforce strict isolation or communications blackouts for the paper setters, moderators, and translators prior to the exam, leaving them free to access digital devices and external networks.
* Physical Logistics Flaws: Operating an offline, pen-and-paper exam for over 22 lakh students forced the NTA to rely heavily on human handling during the printing, transportation, and physical storage of question packets—creating multiple vulnerable touchpoints for inter-state solver gangs.
* Delayed Reforms: The NTA failed to implement crucial digital recommendations from previous expert panels—such as completely moving to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) and executing encrypted digital transmissions—walking into 2026 with the same structural vulnerabilities.

Beyond this particular leak: The Broader Issues 

AA
* Repeated exam failures & paper leaks: The National Testing Agency (NTA) allegedly mishandled multiple major exams (NEET-UG, UGC-NET, etc.), with leaks and cancellations, and the minister is accused of denying problems and ignoring reform recommendations.
CBSE procurement scam: Irregularities in awarding a contract for the On Screen Marking System (OSM), allegedly favoring a weak company after altering tender rules; inquiry results remain undisclosed.
Politicised university appointments: Vice-chancellors allegedly appointed based on political loyalty, with claims of corruption, authoritarian functioning, and even “sale” of faculty posts.
Corruption in education bodies: Alleged scandals in institutions like NAAC, TISS, and ICHR, including bribery cases and financial irregularities, some under investigation by the CBI.
Overall charge: A broader accusation of systemic failure, corruption, and lack of accountability during the minister’s tenure.
BB: Put in different words (by Rahul Gandhi):
152 papers leaked.
7.5 crore students affected.
No one has been convicted.
Over the last ten years.
Here, it bears mentioning that some fourteen students are reported to have committed suicide because of the NEET "paper leak".



Peace Is Doable










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