JEE Advanced 2026 Data Breach: CJP Demands Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation

On Thursday, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) demanded the immediate dismissal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, citing the reported exposure of candidate data from the JEE (Advanced) 2026 results portal. The political outfit alleged that the breach, caused by a cloud storage configuration oversight, highlights widespread incompetence within the administration of the country's educational framework and digital systems.

According to PTI, the controversy stems from a data exposure incident that came to light on Tuesday, when IIT Roorkee—the nodal body conducting the examination this year—acknowledged the configuration issue. A teenage cybersecurity researcher had discovered that candidate records and admit cards of approximately two lakh students were accessible without any authentication. While IIT Roorkee maintained that corrective action was being prioritised and that the data was in a "read-only" format to prevent any alteration of records, the incident has triggered intense public scrutiny regarding the security of student data.

Addressing a press conference, newly appointed CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and the London School of Economics, criticised the official response. "IIT Roorkee said the data was read-only. Is this a joke? You are saying it could be read but not edited. One basic IIT portal cannot be run securely. Sixteen, 17 and 18-year-olds are discovering vulnerabilities and alerting CERT. This shows the level of competence of the people running the system," Ranka said.

Ranka further questioned how a country known for producing top global technology leaders could fail at securing basic portals. "The education minister is totally incompetent. He has run the education system into the ground. We appeal to the Prime Minister to sack Dharmendra Pradhan immediately. This is about the future of our students and a lot is at stake," he added, noting that public institutions require individuals with scientific temper and technical competence.

PTI reported that the CJP has demanded a full government disclosure regarding all data exposure incidents and cybersecurity lapses under its watch. The party wants details of where the data has landed and who has accessed it, particularly breaches that could impact national security.

Looking ahead to a proposed agitation on June 6, Ranka sought to dispel speculation regarding potential unrest. "Rumours are being spread about violence. The Cockroach Janata Party calls for peaceful and democratic protests in line with law and order. We urge people to shun violence," he stated.

The media briefing followed the group's inaugural press interaction at the Constitution Club of India on Wednesday, where leaders expressed an openness to dialogue with both the government and the Opposition while standing firm on Pradhan’s resignation.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who is currently pursuing higher education in the United States, is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on June 6 to seek permission for a demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk is also expected to join the protest.

As reported by PTI, the CJP originated from an online backlash following remarks made last month by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who referred to certain individuals as "cockroaches" and "parasites" during a court hearing. Dipke and his supporters subsequently appropriated the term "cockroach" as a political symbol, transforming a digital youth movement into an organised political campaign.

(With inputs from PTI)