Dharmendra Pradhan resigns as Education Minister

New Delhi, Jul 25: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the Union Cabinet on Saturday, owning moral responsibility for the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 examination, in a move aimed at shielding the government from opposition attacks over the alleged paper leak.
The resignation, submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, comes amid escalating protests by students across the country, including a violent ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on July 20 that left several demonstrators and police personnel injured at Jantar Mantar.
In a nearly 1,000-word letter, Pradhan defended the government’s handling of the crisis while expressing anguish over the events of the past 10 days, which he said had “saddened” him.
“India’s youth power is the true strength of this nation. It is my resolve that the country’s youth power will not be allowed to fall into the trap of confusion,” Pradhan wrote, announcing his decision to step down.
The outgoing minister detailed the sequence of events since the May 3 examination, noting that the government immediately handed over the investigation to the CBI, canceled the exam, and successfully conducted a re-test for over 20 lakh students on June 21 in computer-based mode. The results, declared on July 16, were “satisfactory,” he said, with many meritorious students from poor backgrounds achieving success.
However, Pradhan expressed dismay over what he termed as attempts by “certain individuals holding responsible positions” to mislead students and create obstacles during the crisis.
“Witnessing the events of the past 10 days has saddened me. This is not a matter of personal prestige,” he said, adding that his resignation was submitted “keeping in mind that anti-national forces do not exploit this situation, the unity of the country remains intact, no student’s future gets entangled in legal complexities, and our children focus on their studies and careers.”
Pradhan, a Rajya Sabha member from Odisha, thanked Prime Minister Modi for his “guidance, trust, and continuous support” and described his four-decade-long association with education as a journey of dedication to students and reform.
“With the blessings of Lord Shree Jagannath, I will continue to dedicate myself in every possible way to the service of Mother India, the people of Odisha, and the aspirations of the nation’s youth,” he concluded.
The resignation is expected to be accepted shortly, with sources indicating a possible Cabinet reshuffle. Opposition parties have demanded a joint parliamentary committee probe into the NEET irregularities, while the government has maintained that its actions demonstrate zero-tolerance towards examination malpractice.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi has been appointed as Education Minister following Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation from the post on Saturday.
Joshi has been given additional charge of the Education Ministry besides his role as Consumer Affairs Minister.
A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said the President, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has accepted the resignation of Pradhan with immediate effect.
It said that on the advice of the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Joshi, Cabinet Minister, be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Education, in addition to his own duties. (KNS)