Ashutosh Ranka: Bio, Age, Caste, Wife, Family, CJP Role, & More

Ashutosh Ranka is an Indian social activist and public policy professional. He is known publicly as one of the spokespersons of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the youth-led satirical movement founded in May 2026. A career in corporate consulting was left behind by him for full-time public campaigning on education and governance.

National attention was gained by him during the protests over the 2026 NEET-UG paper leak. Negotiations with Union ministers were attended by him alongside journalist Saurav Das, and the media was addressed by him as the protests grew. More recently, he has been in the news over a violent confrontation in a Jaipur village during a CJP school inspection drive.

Quick Info →

• Hometown: Jaipur, Rajasthan
• Profession: Social activist, political spokesperson, former management consultant
• Known For: Spokesperson and co-convener of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)
• Religion: Hinduism (as reported)

Ashutosh Ranka Bio Summary

Early Life and Education

Ashutosh Ranka was born and raised in Jaipur, Rajasthan. His date of birth is reported as 14 October, but the year has not been officially confirmed. He is reported to be around 30 years of age. His early schooling was reportedly completed at Maheshwari Public School in Jaipur.

Materials Science and Engineering was studied by him at IIT Kanpur, where the post of President of the Students’ Gymkhana was also held by him during the 2016-17 academic year. He was also an active member of the campus Dramatics Club during his student years, as reported.

A Master’s degree in Public Administration was later completed by him at the London School of Economics and Political Science, with a focus on public policy and governance.

Career Before Public Life

After graduating from IIT Kanpur, work was taken up by him at McKinsey & Company as a management consultant. Consulting and public policy work was continued by him after his time at LSE, before he became more closely involved in civic and governance issues.

Between these roles, an Associate Fellow position linked to the Delhi Legislative Assembly was reportedly held by him in 2019. While studying at LSE, consultancy work was also reportedly done by him for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in Geneva. A return to McKinsey as a Senior Associate is reported for the years 2022 to 2024.

Articles on governance, economics and public policy have also been written by him for publications including ThePrint and Newslaundry. Education reform, governance and youth issues are regularly commented on by him on social media.

In 2025, a citizen-led platform named Parivartan was reportedly founded by him after his return to India. Political, educational, health and environmental reforms in Rajasthan were the focus of this platform.

Entry Into the Cockroach Janta Party

The Cockroach Janta Party was founded on 16 May 2026 by political communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke. The movement was created in response to remarks made on 15 May 2026 by the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, in which certain activists and unemployed youth were described as “cockroaches” and “parasites of society”. The way the insult was turned into a party name has been explained in detail in this report on how India’s “cockroaches” formed a political party. It was later clarified by Kant that people holding fraudulent degrees were being referred to, but wide criticism was still triggered.In June 2026, Ashutosh Ranka was announced by the CJP as one of its official spokespersons, along with Saurav Das and Vijeta Dahiya. The announcement was made ahead of the party’s first major protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The movement’s shift from an online campaign into an organised public movement was marked by these appointments.

The protest was aimed at raising concerns over paper leaks, result errors and administrative failures in major examinations such as NEET, CBSE, CUET and SSC GD.

Role During the NEET Paper Leak Protests

As the protests grew, Ranka became one of the movement’s most recognisable faces. Much of the movement’s reach was built online before it reached the streets, a shift examined in this account of how India’s Gen Z outgunned the BJP IT cell. Union ministers were met by him along with Saurav Das, and the protesters’ demands were presented. These demands included accountability for the NEET paper leak, compensation for affected families and wider examination reforms.A sit-in had been held by students and CJP members at Jantar Mantar since 20 June 2026.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 July 2026. The agitation was called off by the CJP the same day after the government accepted its key demands. The media was addressed by Ranka at Jantar Mantar after the resignation was announced.

The ‘School Thik Karo’ Campaign and the Jaipur Clash

A campaign named “School Thik Karo” was later launched by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke to highlight the poor condition of government schools. Complaints from several Rajasthan districts, including Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Dholpur, Bharatpur, Kota, Barmer and Hanumangarh, were said by the party to have been received.Shortly after the campaign was announced, restrictions were introduced by the Rajasthan government. Under the new rules, prior permission from the principal is needed by outsiders to enter a government school. Prior written approval is also needed for photography, videography, interviews, audio recording and live-streaming involving students or teachers. It has been said by the government that these steps are meant to protect the safety, privacy and dignity of children.

The CJP has argued that scrutiny of poor school infrastructure is being blocked by the order.

On 21 August 2026, a CJP team was taken by Ranka to Rampura-Kanwarpura village in Jaipur district to inspect a government primary school. The team was confronted by a group of people, and stone-pelting, injuries and damage to vehicles followed.It was alleged by Ranka afterwards that the attack was coordinated and that “goons brought from outside” were involved. It was also claimed by him that some of those allegedly involved had been seen with local BJP MLA Kailash Verma the previous night. These allegations have not been independently established. It was stated by Jaipur Police that complaints were received from both the villagers and the CJP workers, and that FIRs were registered on both sides.A different account was given by local residents. It was said by one resident that the visit was opposed because it was believed the school could be demolished even though 20 to 25 students were studying there. It was also said by her that funds for repairs had already been sanctioned, and the matter was described by her as a heated exchange.Days later, the CJP delegation including Ranka was booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.The school was later demolished so that a new building could be constructed. It was described by Ranka as a victory for the “School Thik Karo” campaign. According to The New Indian Express, Rs 18 lakh has been sanctioned for the project, of which Rs 12 lakh was approved from the District Mineral Foundation Trust and Rs 6 lakh was provided from the MLA fund.

Recent Activity

Protest activity has been continued by him in Delhi as well. On 4 September 2026, he was present with Saurav Das at the Parliament Street police station during a CJP protest that demanded action against a self-styled Hindutva influencer over an alleged assault on a protester’s father at Jantar Mantar in July. It was said by CJP representatives that an assurance of arrest within 72 hours had been given by the Delhi Police.

Personal Life and Background

Very little about his private life has been shared by him in public. Photographs with his wife, parents and brother have appeared on his social media accounts, but their names have not been widely reported. His caste has not been declared by him at any public event, and it is not recorded in any official document available in the public domain.

Some Lesser Known Facts About Ashutosh Ranka

• The name of his party, the Cockroach Janta Party, is drawn from a remark made by the Chief Justice of India in May 2026, in which unemployed youth were referred to as “cockroaches”.
• The post of President of the Students’ Gymkhana at IIT Kanpur was held by him, which is one of the most senior student positions on that campus.
• The Dramatics Club of IIT Kanpur was actively participated in by him during his student years, as reported.
• His first job after IIT was reportedly taken up at McKinsey & Company in 2017 as a business analyst.
• Editorial work for a policy journal was also done by him while he was studying at LSE, as reported.
• Concerns over the Amaira suicide case in Jaipur were also raised by him, as reported.
• He was associated with the Aam Aadmi Party’s campaign work during the 2024-25 Delhi Assembly election, as reported. A photograph of him with Arvind Kejriwal has circulated online.
• He is referred to in news reports both as a CJP spokesperson and as a co-convener of the party.
• His brother is named Abhijeet Ranka. He should not be confused with Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the CJP.
• After the Jaipur clash, it was posted by him on X that policemen were standing outside a volunteer’s house and asking questions about his family. It was written by him that the police were welcome to come to his own house instead.

Social Media Presence

Frequently Asked Questions