Kejriwal visits Jantar Mantar, backs Sonam Wangchuk for Education Minister
Synopsis
Arvind Kejriwal's surprise appearance at Sonam Wangchuk's Jantar Mantar fast — and his call to make Wangchuk the Education Minister — injected sharp political energy into the NEET controversy on the same day the NTA quietly released the NEET-UG 2026 final answer key, a move that signals the re-examination process is entering its final stretch.
Key Takeaways
Arvind Kejriwal visited Sonam Wangchuk's protest at Jantar Mantar on 16 July , backing him as a candidate for Education Minister .
Kejriwal was accompanied by AAP MP Sanjay Singh and Delhi AAP convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj .
Sonam Wangchuk , 60, a Ladakh-based engineer-activist, has been on fast since 28 June over alleged exam irregularities.
The NTA released the NEET-UG 2026 final answer key on Thursday, for the retest held on 21 June .
Students can challenge answers at ₹200 per challenge , refundable if upheld; the original 3 May exam was scrapped over a paper leak.
Over seven lakh officials were involved in conducting the NEET-UG 2026 retest.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday, 16 July made a surprise visit to activist Sonam Wangchuk's ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, expressing solidarity with demonstrators demanding accountability over alleged exam paper leaks. Kejriwal went a step further, publicly calling for Wangchuk to be appointed India's Education Minister.
What Kejriwal Said at the Protest Site
Addressing supporters gathered at Jantar Mantar, Kejriwal declared that a change in leadership at the Education Ministry was urgently needed and that Wangchuk was the ideal candidate for the role. In a post on social media platform X, he wrote, 'Sonam Wangchuk should be appointed as the country's Education Minister... We're really very proud of you Sonam ji.' In a separate X post, he added, 'Today, I went to Jantar Mantar to support Sonam Wangchuk ji's struggle. My salute to his courage.'
Kejriwal was accompanied by AAP MP Sanjay Singh and Delhi AAP convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj.
Who Is Sonam Wangchuk and Why Is He Protesting
The 60-year-old engineer-turned-activist from Ladakh, widely known for his work in education and sustainable development, began his fast on 28 June as part of a broader agitation amplified by a social media movement. His protest has centred on demanding accountability for alleged irregularities and paper leaks in national examinations.
NEET-UG 2026 Developments on the Same Day
The political visit to Jantar Mantar coincided with a significant development in the NEET controversy: the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday evening released the final answer key for the NEET-UG 2026 retest, which was conducted on 21 June. The original 3 May exam had been scrapped over alleged irregularities and a paper leak.
In a post on X, the NTA said, 'The NEET-UG 2026 Final Answer Key has been released. Visit the official portal to check the Final Answer Key.' The agency had earlier released scanned OMR sheet images for candidates who appeared in the re-exam, and closed the window to challenge OMR responses on Wednesday.
Key Procedural Details for Students
Students seeking to challenge the final answer key will be required to pay a fee of ₹200 per challenge, which will be refunded if the challenge is upheld. The window to contest the provisional answer key for the re-exam had closed on 28 June. Earlier this month, the NTA also initiated a NEET-UG 2026 fee refund process, urging students to update their bank account details on the official portal.
The NTA credited a whole-of-government effort for the smooth conduct of the retest on 21 June, acknowledging the role of over seven lakh officials involved in the exercise. With the final answer key now public, attention turns to the results and whether the re-examination will fully restore student confidence in the process.
Point of View
Now nearly three weeks old, has drawn cross-party attention precisely because the exam integrity issue cuts across class and geography — making it a rare political pressure point that opposition parties cannot afford to ignore.
NationPress
16 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Kejriwal visit Sonam Wangchuk's protest at Jantar Mantar?
Kejriwal visited Wangchuk's ongoing fast at Jantar Mantar on 16 July to show solidarity with demonstrators demanding accountability over alleged exam paper leaks. He publicly called for Wangchuk to be appointed India's Education Minister, describing him as the ideal candidate to address irregularities in national examinations.
Who is Sonam Wangchuk and what is he protesting about?
Sonam Wangchuk is a 60-year-old engineer-turned-activist from Ladakh, known for his work in education and sustainable living. He began a fast on 28 June as part of a broader agitation demanding accountability for alleged irregularities and paper leaks in national exams, particularly NEET.
What is the NEET-UG 2026 final answer key and when was it released?
The NEET-UG 2026 final answer key is the official set of correct answers released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for the retest held on 21 June 2026. It was released on Thursday, 16 July, following the scrapping of the original 3 May exam over alleged irregularities and a paper leak.
How can students challenge the NEET-UG 2026 final answer key?
Students can challenge individual answers by paying a fee of ₹200 per challenge. The fee is refundable if the challenge is upheld by the NTA. The window to contest the provisional answer key had already closed on 28 June.
Who accompanied Kejriwal to the Jantar Mantar protest?
Kejriwal was accompanied by AAP MP Sanjay Singh and Delhi AAP convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj during his visit to Sonam Wangchuk's protest site at Jantar Mantar on 16 July.
