Ashutosh Ranka: Biography, CJP Role, Education, Career & More

Introduction: Ashutosh Ranka is an Indian political spokesperson, social activist, and former management consultant who rose to national prominence in 2026 as a face of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). An IIT Kanpur and London School of Economics graduate, he walked away from a lucrative McKinsey consulting career to lead student-driven protests over exam-paper leaks and irregularities affecting NEET, CBSE, CUET, and SSC GD candidates across India.

Early Life: Ashutosh Ranka was born and raised in Jaipur, Rajasthan, in a family that has lived in the city for generations. He attended Maheshwari Public School, where he was consistently a top academic performer with an early interest in debate, drama, and public affairs. He went on to secure admission to IIT Kanpur through one of India’s most competitive engineering entrance exams, an achievement that set the direction for his later shift into leadership and public life.

Career: At IIT Kanpur, Ranka pursued a B.Tech in Materials Science and Engineering (2013–2017), serving as President of the Students’ Gymkhana and staying active in the campus Dramatics Club throughout his degree. He began his professional career in 2017 as a Business Analyst with McKinsey & Company in Mumbai, then moved into public service in 2019 as an Associate Fellow with the Delhi Legislative Assembly. In 2020 he went to the London School of Economics for a Master’s in Public Administration, working alongside his studies as a contributing editor for a policy journal and as a consultant for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in Geneva. He returned to McKinsey as a Senior Associate from 2022 to 2024, during which he also contributed to the Aam Aadmi Party’s media and data teams, later becoming the party’s Intellectual Wing Secretary for Rajasthan in December 2025. In 2025 he founded Parivartan, a citizen-led platform pushing for political, educational, and governance reforms in Rajasthan. His national profile grew sharply in June 2026 when he was named spokesperson for the newly formed Cockroach Janta Party, where he helped lead the 36-day Jantar Mantar protests and took part in direct negotiations with senior government ministers over student demands.

Personal Life: Ashutosh Ranka keeps his personal life largely private. Reports differ on his marital status - several sources describe him as married to Richa Agrawal, a former IIT Kanpur classmate, since early 2023, while another lists him as unmarried. He has a younger brother, Abhijeet Ranka, and his parents have chosen to stay out of the public eye. Outside his advocacy work, he has been involved in drama and public speaking since his college years, and his social media carries the Hindi slogan “Street. Struggle. Revolution.”