Education reform activist Sonam Wangchuk has said he is prepared to end his hunger strike only if one of three conditions is met, according to a handwritten note released from Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Monday.
The activist, who has been on an indefinite fast since June 28 over alleged examination paper leaks and demands for accountability in India’s education system, said his preferred outcome is for the Central government to publicly accept responsibility for what he describes as systemic failures in the conduct of competitive examinations and commit to corrective action.
Alternatively, he said he would end the fast if Members of Parliament across party lines personally assured him that the concerns raised by students would be meaningfully debated during the Monsoon Session, or if doctors concluded that continuing the fast posed an unacceptable risk to his life.
The note comes after Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital following a decline in his health, where he remains under medical observation. While authorities have maintained that the hospitalisation was necessary on medical grounds, Wangchuk and his supporters have described the move as involuntary. As of now, the Union government has not publicly responded to the three conditions outlined in his latest note.
Three Conditions To End Fast
In his latest handwritten appeal from Safdarjung Hospital, Wangchuk sought to define what he called a constructive path towards ending his prolonged protest. Rather than reiterating only his earlier demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the activist shifted the emphasis to institutional accountability.
He said the first and most desirable outcome would be for the Central government to acknowledge failures in the education system, particularly the alleged examination paper leaks that have affected competitive examinations across the country, and announce concrete corrective measures.
His second condition calls for political engagement rather than executive action. Wangchuk said he would end his fast if Members of Parliament from different political parties personally met him and assured him that the issues of examination transparency, accountability and education reforms would be seriously discussed during Parliament’s Monsoon Session.
According to him, restoring public confidence in the examination system requires transparent parliamentary debate rather than isolated administrative decisions. The third condition is based entirely on medical advice. Wangchuk stated that if doctors determined his condition had deteriorated to a point where continuing the hunger strike would seriously endanger his life, he would respect their professional opinion and discontinue the fast.
The activist’s latest message arrives after more than three weeks of fasting, during which doctors have reported weight loss and muscle deterioration. Medical teams at VMMC Safdarjung Hospital, supported by specialists from AIIMS, continue to monitor his condition.
Hospital authorities have described him as medically stable but fragile and have been administering sugar-free oral electrolyte solutions while keeping him under continuous observation. Earlier reports suggested Wangchuk had lost around 8.5 kilograms during the fast while declining intravenous nutritional support for much of the protest.
Protest Draws Political And Legal Attention
Wangchuk began his indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 28, saying the protest was aimed at securing accountability over alleged examination irregularities that have affected lakhs of students. Supporters argue that repeated controversies surrounding competitive examinations have weakened public trust in recruitment and admission processes.
Wangchuk has consistently maintained that his protest is intended to stand with students and safeguard the credibility of India’s education system rather than target any particular political party.
As his health deteriorated during the third week of the protest, Delhi Police shifted him from the protest site to Safdarjung Hospital, citing medical concerns after doctors warned about his condition.
Wangchuk and his supporters, however, described the move as involuntary, and in another handwritten note from the hospital alleged restrictions on his movement, speech and communication, calling the situation an “illegal detention”.
The developments also reached the Delhi High Court, which directed authorities to ensure daily clinical monitoring of the activist while observing that every life is precious. The court later declined an interim plea filed by Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, seeking his transfer to a private hospital, allowing treatment to continue at Safdarjung Hospital pending further proceedings.
The hunger strike has also prompted political responses across party lines. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor appealed to Wangchuk to end his fast, saying the concerns raised about education deserved national attention, while expressing hope that democratic institutions would address the issues.
Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had visited Wangchuk during the protest and extended support for his call for greater accountability in the education system. Wangchuk’s wife has meanwhile reiterated that he remains willing to call off the fast if political leaders provide credible assurances that Parliament will take up the issues he has highlighted.
His latest handwritten note has also gained widespread attention on social media, with student groups, civil society organisations and supporters sharing his appeal for education reforms and examination transparency.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Education is built on trust. Every student who prepares for an examination invests not only years of hard work but also hope in the fairness of the system. Whenever allegations of paper leaks or examination irregularities emerge, they affect far more than a single test they shake confidence in public institutions and create uncertainty for millions of young people whose futures depend on transparent processes.
At the same time, prolonged hunger strikes carry serious health risks and remind us of the deeply personal cost that public protests can involve.
Also read: No More Body-Focused Shots: European Athletics Introduces New Guidelines For Women’s Sports Coverage
