Ahead of a proposed student protest at Jantar Mantar, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to provide Rs 1 crore compensation to families of students who allegedly died by suicide amid examination-related controversies.
Dipke also reiterated the organisation's demand for the removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying students were seeking accountability over the crisis.
The appeal comes ahead of CJP's second planned protest at Jantar Mantar on June 20, where the youth-led organisation intends to intensify its campaign against alleged examination irregularities and the government's handling of the education system.
"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," Dipke said in the letter.
Claiming that 11 students had died by suicide in recent weeks, including five in the last 48 hours, Dipke said anxiety among students had intensified due to uncertainty surrounding possible re-examinations.
Seeking immediate financial assistance for affected families, he said many parents had incurred substantial educational loans to support their children's studies.
"Having lost the very children they poured their life savings into educating, these families have been left entirely destitute," Dipke wrote, demanding a compensation package of Rs 1 crore for families affected by what he described as the "compounding crisis of paper leaks".
The CJP founder also renewed his call for Pradhan's removal and said students wanted accountability from those in positions of responsibility.
"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.
He added that holding leadership accountable was a "vital step toward restoring the faith of millions of students and parents in our educational framework", and warned that failing to do so "inadvertently sends a message that the administration accepts the status quo."
"Therefore, we respectfully request you to sack the education minister. He is serving at your pleasure, and the buck stops with the prime minister," he said.
Dipke argued that removing the education minister would signal the government's commitment to accountability and cautioned that inaction could deepen despair among students and parents.
He also called for urgent intervention to prioritise student mental health and safety, while advocating structural reforms 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 demonstration will mark CJP's second 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 Pradhan's resignation over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests.
Since then, the organisation has expanded its campaign to multiple cities, focusing on examination controversies and paper leak allegations, with the education minister's resignation remaining a central demand.
(With inputs from PTI)
