Ahead of a proposed protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking ₹1 crore compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide amid examination-related controversies and demanding the removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
In his letter, Dipke expressed concern over what he described as a growing crisis affecting the mental health and well-being of students across the country.
“I am writing to you today with a heavy heart, to bring your urgent attention to an escalating crisis that threatens the very future of our nation — the lives and mental well-being of our young students,” he wrote.
The appeal comes ahead of the CJP’s planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar on June 20, where the youth-led organisation intends to intensify its campaign against alleged examination irregularities, paper leak controversies and what it describes as a lack of accountability within the education system.
Dipke claimed that 11 students had died by suicide in recent weeks, including five within the last 48 hours, and alleged that uncertainty over potential re-examinations had contributed to increased stress among students.
Seeking financial assistance for affected families, he argued that many parents had invested their life savings and taken loans to support their children’s education.
“Having lost the very children they poured their life savings into educating, these families have been left entirely destitute,” Dipke stated, demanding a compensation package of ₹1 crore for families affected by what he termed the “compounding crisis of paper leaks.”
The CJP founder also renewed his call for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, claiming that students across the country were demanding accountability from those responsible for managing the education system.
“The Cockroach Janta Party has been demanding the resignation of the education minister for the past month and has been protesting across the country for our demands. All that we students want is to see some accountability for the loss of lives,” he said.
According to Dipke, holding senior leadership accountable would be a crucial step toward rebuilding public trust in the country's educational framework.
“He is serving at your pleasure, and the buck stops with the prime minister,” Dipke wrote, urging Modi to remove the minister from office.
He further argued that decisive action would send a strong message that the government is committed to transparency and accountability, while inaction could deepen frustration and despair among students and their families.
The activist also called for urgent reforms to improve student welfare, mental health support systems and examination processes, stressing that structural changes are needed to ensure that “no more young lives are cut short by academic despair.”
“Students from all across India are assembling at Jantar Mantar, 20th June onwards, to raise our demand. We hope your government listens to the voice of India’s future,” he added.
The June 20 protest will be the CJP’s second major mobilisation at Jantar Mantar this month. On June 6, hundreds of students and young professionals gathered at the protest site following a call by Dipke, demanding the resignation of the education minister over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests.
Following that demonstration, the organisation expanded its campaign to multiple cities, focusing on examination controversies and allegations of paper leaks, with accountability and educational reforms remaining at the centre of its demands.
