Who is Devendra Nath Mahto, Jharkhand’s 'Sonam Wangchuk' fasting for protesting students?

As the student protest in Jharkhand intensifies, student leader Devendra Nath Mahto has emerged as the face of the movement. He is being called the ‘Sonam Wangchuk’ of Jharkhand protest as he launched an indefinite fast on Sunday night (Aug 2) at Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium to support the protesting students. He said that the fast was the last option as protest did not move the government. Mahto and the students are protesting the massive irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand and are demanding a CBI and ED probe. Mahto called for the cancellation of the 14th JPSC preliminary examination until transparency and fairness are ensured.

Who is Devendra Nath Mahto?

Devendra Nath Mahto is a student leader from a small village in Ranchi. He completed his schooling in Bundu before pursuing higher education at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University in Ranchi. A postgraduate in Sanskrit as well as Kurmali, Tribal and Regional Languages, Mahto also has a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree from Hazaribagh. He also contested the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly elections from the Tamar constituency as an Independent candidate. He has been involved in studnet activism since 2015, and has raised issues related to scholarships, paper leaks, recruitment rules, reservation policies throughout. On Sunday, he also received support from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) as party founder Abhijeet Dipke said he held a video call with Mahto and other student leaders.

Also Read: BJP MPs protest in Parliament over Jharkhand paper leak as student agitation swell in state: What exactly happened?

"This struggle, which began on July 5 and the ongoing day-and-night satyagraha since July 25 has now reached a difficult stage. There is weakness in the body, but the resolve to deliver justice to students is stronger than ever," he wrote in his latest X post. He appealed to supporters to keep the agitation peaceful and constitutional, saying the fight was not for an individual but for the future of lakhs of young aspirants in Jharkhand.

Also Read: Was CJP not controlling the protest? What spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka told WION after Pradhan's resignation

Wangchuk's hunger strike during NEET protest in New Delhi

Activist Sonam Wangchuk brought limelight to NEET protest that rocked the nation earlier this month. While the students under the leadership of Cockroach Janta Party leaders was on a sit-in protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar since June 6, Wangchuk joined the protest on June 28 and announced indefinite hunger strike. His involvement brought the required attention to the movement with students from across the country joining the protest. He ended his 26-day hunger strike late on July 23, 2026, after receiving official written assurances from the Union government regarding comprehensive examination reforms. He broke his fast at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram by sipping soup in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh. Wangchuk lost approximately 11 kg and his fast did not go in vain as the key demand of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was fulfilled on Jul 25.

Student protest in Jharkhand

Thousands of students have taken to streets since Jul 25 and are protesting against alleged irregularities in various government examination, specifically the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations. The protest has expanded into a statewide campaign demanding accountability, transparent recruitment and education reforms with Ranchi being the epicentre. It was triggered after reports of OMR sheet tampering and paper leaks in the JPSC civil services examination. Student alleged that the exam-conducting agency, TDPL, which had previously been blacklisted by other government bodies like the SSC, was hired to manage the process.

Students in Jharkhand are angry over several other exam related irregularities in the state. They demand answers for 2024 Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) CGL exam paper leak, and subsequent reschedule after High Court's intervention. The students reject CID probe over the matter. Earlier this year, : 159 candidates and 5 racket leaders were arrested after they were caught paying up to ₹15 lakh each to memorize leaked question paper sets in Jharkhand Excise Constable Competitive Examination (JECCE). Moreover, JAC Class 10 Board Exams (2025) Science and Hindi question papers also went viral on social media before/during exams in districts like Koderma and Giridih, forcing cancellations and re-examinations.