Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns after youth protests

Just before the beginning of meeting with the Cockroach Janata Party, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday resigned.

“”Considering the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country --with the aim of preventing anti-national forces from exploiting it, preserving national unity, ensuring that not a single Indian student’s future gets entangled in legal complexities, and allowing our children to devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers -- I have submitted my resignation to the Prime Minister,” he said in his two page letter posted on social media.

Further he said that he has taken responsibility from day one for the NEET paper leak and he is disturbed to see the series of events that have unfolded in the last 10 days.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) hailed it as the first victory of their 36-day agitation.

However, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said their agitation will continue until the government fulfils their other demands as well. Pradhan’s resignation on Saturday sparked scenes of celebration at Jantar Mantar.

Students and members of the CJP have been holding a sit-in since June 20, demanding his accountability over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and irregularities in the CBSE’s on-screen marking process, besides seeking wider reforms in the conduct of public examinations.

The opposition parties, which had supported the stir and had joined the chorus for Pradhan’s resignation, called it a victory for students, youth and democracy. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Pradhan’s resignation was a “victory of truth” and a defeat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “stubbornness”.

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s turn to apologise and take strict action against all those who used lathis, batons and pellet guns against the agitating students.

“We have won,” the CJP posted on X. Addressing protesters at Jantar Mantar, Dipke said, “Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned and this is the proof that if you don’t get scared, you can win.” “You should not be scared to speak in a democracy. Only if you raise your voice, they will stay in line because they are sitting in power because of us,” the CJP founder said.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk described it as “a victory of democracy” and credited the nationwide student-led agitation and citizens’ participation for the outcome.

The government had on Friday approved a draft bill to ensure stricter punishments for paper leaks, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an unprecedented midnight video message, announced that the bill containing provisions for strong action against paper leaks will be introduced in Parliament.

Pradhan, who has been a two-time Education Minister, faced a similar controversy in 2024 over alleged NEET and NET paper leaks.