Who is Saurav Das? All about CJP spokesperson's education, career, role in NEET protest
Where did he study? How did he get here? And what exactly is his role in the NEET-UG movement gripping the nation? This is the story of Saurav Das — in his own trajectory, from Amity University to the frontlines of Jantar Mantar.
- Aug 2, 2026,
- Updated Aug 2, 2026 7:45 AM IST
A journalist who once used RTIs to expose government secrets is now the man governments are negotiating with. Saurav Das, chief spokesperson of the Cockroach Janta Party, has gone from investigative reporting to leading India's most-talked-about student protest — one that ended with a Union Minister's resignation.
Where did he study? How did he get here? And what exactly is his role in the NEET-UG movement gripping the nation? This is the story of Saurav Das — in his own trajectory, from Amity University to the frontlines of Jantar Mantar.
MUST READ | 10-year jail, ₹50 lakh fine: Lok Sabha approves anti-paper leak bill; key details inside
Saurav Das's education
Saurav Das has completed his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from Amity University between 2016 and 2019. During his college years, Das gained interest in public accountability and started filing RTI petitions in 2017 at the age of 18, which proved significant in his journalistic career.
Saurav Das's career
According to his LinkedIn profile, Das interned with a major news outlet for a period of 2 months between December 2018 and January 2019. He also worked as a video post-producer with Monks for 7 months from October 2021 to April 2022.
Saurav Das has also worked with GLG as a content associate for 11 months from May 2022 to March 2023. Besides this, Das has been working as a freelance journalist for the past 6 years, from August 2020.
DO CHECKOUT | 'I want to forgive them': PM Modi's message to 'misguided children' after Jantar Mantar abuse
He also runs his personal website, sauravdas.in, where he publishes news reports, opinion pieces, and his investigative work. It also features some of the RTIs filed by him, such as Undisclosed income in Panama Papers now over 1,000 crore: I-T', 'Home Ministry gives no information to RTI asking if it bought Pegasus spyware', and 'Found Discrepancy in Covid Death Numbers in UP'.
Saurav Das's role in NEET protest
As the prominent voice of the CJP, he led the negotiations with Union Ministers. Saurav Das said that "Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was a non-negotiable demand" during the negotiations.
Besides the resignation, he also demanded ₹1 crore compensation for families of NEET-related suicide victims and the complete withdrawal of FIRs against peaceful protesters. After Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down as Union Education Minister and the Centre's agreement on key conditions, Das officially announced the withdrawal of the demonstrations.
Notable causes picked up by Saurav Das before the NEET protest
Before the NEET protest, Das challenged the Centre in the Delhi High Court over data privacy protocols and hidden development data of the Aarogya Setu app. He also reported on the discrepancies in pandemic-related death numbers in Uttar Pradesh and the Home Ministry's non-disclosure regarding Pegasus spyware.
Saurav Das' upcoming book
He is also working on his debut book — Complicit Silence: The Court's Rule in India's Quiet Suffering — focusing on questions around accountability within India's judicial system.
A journalist who once used RTIs to expose government secrets is now the man governments are negotiating with. Saurav Das, chief spokesperson of the Cockroach Janta Party, has gone from investigative reporting to leading India's most-talked-about student protest — one that ended with a Union Minister's resignation.
Where did he study? How did he get here? And what exactly is his role in the NEET-UG movement gripping the nation? This is the story of Saurav Das — in his own trajectory, from Amity University to the frontlines of Jantar Mantar.
MUST READ | 10-year jail, ₹50 lakh fine: Lok Sabha approves anti-paper leak bill; key details inside
Saurav Das's education
Saurav Das has completed his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from Amity University between 2016 and 2019. During his college years, Das gained interest in public accountability and started filing RTI petitions in 2017 at the age of 18, which proved significant in his journalistic career.
Saurav Das's career
According to his LinkedIn profile, Das interned with a major news outlet for a period of 2 months between December 2018 and January 2019. He also worked as a video post-producer with Monks for 7 months from October 2021 to April 2022.
Saurav Das has also worked with GLG as a content associate for 11 months from May 2022 to March 2023. Besides this, Das has been working as a freelance journalist for the past 6 years, from August 2020.
DO CHECKOUT | 'I want to forgive them': PM Modi's message to 'misguided children' after Jantar Mantar abuse
He also runs his personal website, sauravdas.in, where he publishes news reports, opinion pieces, and his investigative work. It also features some of the RTIs filed by him, such as Undisclosed income in Panama Papers now over 1,000 crore: I-T', 'Home Ministry gives no information to RTI asking if it bought Pegasus spyware', and 'Found Discrepancy in Covid Death Numbers in UP'.
Saurav Das's role in NEET protest
As the prominent voice of the CJP, he led the negotiations with Union Ministers. Saurav Das said that "Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was a non-negotiable demand" during the negotiations.
Besides the resignation, he also demanded ₹1 crore compensation for families of NEET-related suicide victims and the complete withdrawal of FIRs against peaceful protesters. After Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down as Union Education Minister and the Centre's agreement on key conditions, Das officially announced the withdrawal of the demonstrations.
Notable causes picked up by Saurav Das before the NEET protest
Before the NEET protest, Das challenged the Centre in the Delhi High Court over data privacy protocols and hidden development data of the Aarogya Setu app. He also reported on the discrepancies in pandemic-related death numbers in Uttar Pradesh and the Home Ministry's non-disclosure regarding Pegasus spyware.
Saurav Das' upcoming book
He is also working on his debut book — Complicit Silence: The Court's Rule in India's Quiet Suffering — focusing on questions around accountability within India's judicial system.