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The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), founded by youth activist Abhijeet Dipke, on Thursday released a five-point "exam manifesto" at an agitation in Pune's
Savitribai Phule University. Dipke, demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister, accused the government of failing to ensure accountability despite repeated controversies surrounding exams such as NEET, CBSE and CUET. "Our only demand since the inception of this movement has been the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. More than one crore students have faced injustice, but nobody is ready to take responsibility or step down," Dipke said, warning that protesters would march to Delhi and stage a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on June 20 if the minister did not resign.
Five-Point 'Exam Manifesto' Unveiled
Dipke also released a five-point "exam manifesto" aimed at safeguarding students affected by examination disruptions. The proposals include Rs 10,000 compensation for students in cases of paper leaks, postponed exams or delayed results; declaration of results within one month of an examination; backup examination dates within 72 hours of cancellations; age relaxation for affected candidates; mandatory audits of computer-based testing systems and merit-based allocation of examination contracts.He also demanded physical evaluation of answer sheets instead of online assessment and special trains during large-scale recruitment drives.
Sonam Wangchuk Extends Support
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest and expressed support for the campaign, describing it as an effort by educated youth to highlight concerns within the education sector.Dipke said the movement would travel to Jaipur, Lucknow, Amritsar and Bengaluru before culminating in Delhi. He also alleged that social media accounts linked to the organisation had faced restrictions and urged the government to engage in dialogue rather than dismissing students' concerns.
Explaining the party's unusual name, Dipke said the cockroach symbolised growing frustration among young people. "The cockroach is a message that the youth of the country is fed up with this politics. The system is rotten and the cockroaches will correct it," he said.
Asked about a purported photograph showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Dipke in the United States, which Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut flagged in a social media post, Dipke said it appeared to be AI-generated. “How can I meet the prime minister? I was just a student in the US. Everyone knows how strict the protocols are for meeting the prime minister,” he said.
Until about 15 days ago, he had been looking for a job in the US, Dipke said.
