1 hour ago
6
PROTECT YOURSELF with Orgo-Life® QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY
Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by Adpathway3 min readHyderabadJun 14, 2026 03:19 PM IST
The protest reverberated with slogans of “Jai Bhim” and “Hail Constitution”. The protesters, most of them youngsters, carried posters demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. (Express Photo)
Addressing a crowd of about 200 people at Hyderabad’s Dharna Chowk at a protest of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Sunday, activist Sonam Wangchuk called for a “bhay-mukt Bharat (India without fear)”.
“Young people whose lives are impacted by the many paper leaks and anomalies in examinations should, without fear, question the government responsible for these troubles,” the leader from Ladakh said, calling for educational development and environmental protection to be the way forward for the future of the country.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke was not at the event. Vijeta Dahiya, one of the spokespersons of the party, said, “We remember the number of students who have lost their lives to exam anomalies. We salute the valour of those youth who are standing up demanding the resignation of Union HRD Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.”
The protester said they take inspiration from Bhagat Singh, Dr B R Ambedkar, Birsa Munda and Jyotiba Phule. (Express Photo)
Dahiya also remembered Rohith Vemula, the Dalit student of the University of Hyderabad who died by suicide when faced with caste discrimination in 2016. Taking the same line as Wangchuk, Dahiya said Telangana is known for youth protests, right from the Telangana agitation to the “Save KBR park” protests.
The protest reverberated with slogans of “Jai Bhim” and “Hail Constitution”. The protesters, most of them youngsters, carried posters demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. They said they take inspiration from Bhagat Singh, Dr B R Ambedkar, Birsa Munda and Jyotiba Phule. Slogans for Savitri Bai Phule and Fatima Sheikh were raised repeatedly.
Speaking to The Indian Express, several young people who had appeared for various competitive examinations, including NEET, NET and UPSC, said that they assembled on the call given by CJP because they want the education system to change. One student, Pranavi Wankhede, who had moved from Maharashtra to Hyderabad to take NEET coaching, said her entire family has suffered because of the exam paper leak. Besides, there’s pressure on her elder sister, who appeared for NEET, to get married. “Parents think that nothing is going to come out of her education. So, they are thinking of marrying her off. This is the case in many families with girl children,” Wankhede said.
Another student, Nitya, said she decided to participate in the protest because she wants a “foolproof examination system”. “I do not want to suffer like this again,” she said.
Story continues below this ad
Kartik, an MBA final-year student, said, “I want to write NET and am already under pressure, wondering whether the paper would leak. I am standing up for everyone who is in my shoes.”
Amid Vande Mataram and Jai Shri Ram slogans, another student, Teena, said, “Look at what is happening here. Are we not patriots?”
Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice. Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India. Expertise & Focus Areas Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include: Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India. Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism. Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities. National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting. Authoritativeness & Trust A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read More
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
English (US) · 
French (CA) · 
French (FR) ·