Centre Agrees to Continue Sonam Wangchuk's Medical Care; But Dialogue on Paper Leak Issue Still Pending
- 2 days ago
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When Sonam Wangchuk was urged to end his hunger strike, he instead appealed to his supporters to press the government to address the paper leak issue.
By Pranjal Gupta
New Delhi, July 16: A bench of the Delhi High Court on Thursday said the life of every citizen is precious and asked the central government to monitor climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's health on a daily basis. Representing the Centre and the Delhi government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said government doctors and experts are already monitoring Wangchuk's health, which has been deteriorating since he began an indefinite hunger strike on June 28, pressing the government to address the issue of alleged paper leak in India.
The Solicitor General said, "Whenever he has permitted a government doctor to do that, I think we would be having (the reports). Sometimes a private doctor also comes to check." He added that the life of every individual was precious and that there was no objection to conducting Wangchuk's regular medical check-ups.
"We appreciate the stance taken by the learned Solicitor General and accordingly direct that the medical condition of Wangchuk shall be clinically and otherwise regularly monitored on a daily basis, and depending on the opinion of the doctors, whatever medical intervention is required to check his deteriorating health condition shall also be taken," the court ordered.
Following this, the bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia disposed of the PIL.
'Force-Feed Wangchuk'
The bench was hearing a plea filed by Rakesh Kumar Saini. The petitioner argued that Sonam Wangchuk's health was deteriorating as he continued his fast to press the government to address the paper leak incidents in India. Wangchuk has explicitly refused to end his protest until the government initiates a dialogue on strengthening the education system.
Over the last 19 days, Wangchuk has reportedly lost 19 kilograms. His vital parameters are low, and he is struggling to even stand on his own. His condition has raised concern across the country. Several Opposition leaders, Bollywood actors, medical experts and well-wishers have urged him to end his fast, but Wangchuk remains adamant.
NEET-UG 2026
The protest began after the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination, which was followed by a re-test. From the initial examination to the unfolding controversy and the subsequent re-test, students came under severe pressure, while some reportedly succumbed to it and died by suicide.
Wangchuk joined the ongoing protest led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which began in the first week of June. The internet-borne satire-based party has demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged repeated question paper leaks that have affected the lives of thousands of students appearing for competitive examinations.
No Government Representative Showed Up Yet
While the Solicitor General, on behalf of the Centre, informed the bench that Wangchuk's health would be monitored daily, no government representative has yet reached out to address the concerns he has been raising.
