A verified chronological record of the movement.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 is held across 4,750 centres with 24+ lakh candidates. Within hours, reports of paper irregularities emerge from centres in Bihar, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Students notice identical questions circulating on Telegram channels timestamped before the exam.
Encrypted Telegram channels expose verified screenshots of the NEET-UG question paper with timestamps 12 hours before the exam window. Digital forensics experts confirm authenticity. #NEETScam2026 trends at #1 across all social media platforms for 72 hours straight.
NTA admits to awarding "grace marks" to 1,563 students for alleged "time loss" at centres — but investigation reveals many of those centres reported zero disruptions. Six students score a statistically impossible perfect 720/720, triggering nationwide outrage.
The Cockroach Janta Party is formally launched at a packed rally at Delhi University North Campus. The name symbolizes resilience: "You called us cockroaches — creatures that survive anything you throw at them. Today, we organize." Thousands of students take the oath of non-violent resistance.
RTI responses reveal CBSE deployed an untested AI-assisted marking system at 23 evaluation centres as a secret "pilot program." The system shows 30-50 mark discrepancies compared to manual evaluation, systematically disadvantaging students from government schools.
A coalition of 47 NEET aspirants files a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court demanding cancellation of NEET-UG 2026, a court-monitored re-examination, and a CBI investigation into the paper leak syndicate. The bench agrees to hear the case on priority.
Over 200 students, led by CJP coordinators, begin an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. The protest draws immediate national attention as opposition leaders, retired Supreme Court judges, and prominent academics visit in solidarity. Medical teams from AIIMS set up a field clinic on-site.
Students at 340+ colleges across 28 states stage coordinated walkouts. For the first time, students at IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, NIT Trichy, and AIIMS join the movement wearing black armbands with coded protest signs: "while(corruption) { protest(); }" and "404: Justice Not Found."
CBI conducts simultaneous dawn raids across Delhi, Jaipur, and Patna. 12 current and former NTA officials arrested. Evidence recovered includes pre-printed answer keys, encrypted communication devices, and ₹2.3 crore in unaccounted cash linked to the paper leak network.
An estimated 2,00,000+ students march toward Parliament in the largest youth protest in independent India's history. Police deploy water cannons and tear gas near Vijay Chowk. 847 students detained across 12 police stations. Global media covers what they call the "Indian Student Spring." All detainees released within 24 hours.
The Supreme Court takes suo motu cognizance of the Sansad Chalo police action. Issues notice to the Centre, NTA, and CBSE with a 2-week deadline. Orders: no FIRs, suspensions, or blacklisting against students who protested peacefully. Bench observes: "The right to peaceful protest is sacrosanct."
International student organizations from 15 countries issue statements of solidarity with Indian student protesters. Harvard, Oxford, and MIT student unions organize awareness events. The UN Special Rapporteur on Education calls the NEET scandal "a systemic failure requiring immediate accountability." CJP announces July 25 nationwide black-band protest.