Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday sent his resignation letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after more than a month of student protests that spread from Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to cities across the country.
The demonstrations, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and bolstered by activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, have made Pradhan’s exit their central demand over the government’s handling of the NEET-UG newspaper leak this year.
Sharing his message on X, Pradhan said he wanted to protect the future of students, prevent “anti-national forces” from exploiting the situation in Jantar Mantar, and maintain national unity. The Prime Minister has not yet officially accepted the resignation.
Pradhan’s four-and-a-half years at the helm of the Education Ministry – which spanned the launch of the National Education Policy (NEP), exam-related crises, and frequent friction with opposition-ruled states – were rarely devoid of controversy.
Here’s a look at 10 flashpoints during his tenure:
1. Boycott while taking the oath (June 2024)
Pradhan’s return to the Union Cabinet got off to a rocky start. When he rose to take oath as MP and minister in the newly formed 18th Parliament in June 2024, members of the India Caucus heckled him with chants of “NEET” and “shame, shame”. The protest reflects growing anger over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam that year, with opposition MPs demanding discussion of the paper leak scandal and pressing Pradhan over accountability.
2. NEET-UG paper leak, twice (2024 and 2026)
No problem has dogged Pradhan more than the leak of National Eligibility Test papers. In 2024, allegations of paper leaks and token anomalies – with irregularities reported in Bihar and elsewhere – sparked nationwide protests, a Supreme Court intervention and a CBI investigation, and the National Testing Agency (NTA) was appointed its chief.
The crisis resurfaced this year. The NEET-UG exam held on May 3 was canceled on May 12 after leaks were traced to guess papers circulating outside coaching centers in Rajasthan. A retest was later conducted on June 21 under tight security measures.
This incident disrupted millions of aspirants and prompted the CJP to stage a sit-in at Jantar Mantar.
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3. UGC-NET CANCELED 1 DAY LATER (JUNE 2024)
The ministry canceled the UGC-NET exam on June 19, 2024 — just a day after it was conducted — following intelligence that question papers were leaked and circulated on the dark web via Telegram and other platforms. Pradhan confirmed the violation and ordered a CBI investigation. This episode came in the middle of my NEET class, eroding confidence in NTA.
4. A testing agency is under constant pressure
The NTA – which conducts NEET, JEE, CUET and NET exams among other major exams – has faced constant scrutiny during Pradhan’s tenure over technical glitches, mis-marking of scores, data security and reliance on outsourcing. Critics blamed bureaucratic mismanagement and staff shortages. Multiple reform committees were established, including one led by former Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chief K Radhakrishnan, but disagreements continued until 2026, leading to leadership changes, terminations, and renewed debate over converting the tests to computer-based ones.
5. CBSE On-Screen Marks Crisis (2026)
The introduction of on-screen marking (OSM) for CBSE Class 12 board exams this year has sparked a fresh controversy over alleged assessment errors, poor survey quality, technical glitches and marking discrepancies.
An internal trial conducted in January 2026 identified more than 36 issues that were allegedly overlooked prior to launch. Students and teachers protested, and senior CBSE officials were transferred. Pradhan took responsibility and promised to take action against those found guilty, although the opposition dismissed this as a superficial fix for deeper shortcomings at the ministerial and board levels. A committee has since been formed to examine alleged violations in OSM procurement.
6. Countries are backing away from PM SHRI schools
The PM Schools for Renaissance India (PM SHRI) scheme, launched in 2022, has faced resistance from several non-BJP-led states. The states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and initially West Bengal and Punjab, have delayed or refused to sign the required MoU, accusing the Center of linking critical funds – including Samagra Shiksha funds – to ideological compliance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Some states eventually came under financial pressure, although Tamil Nadu and Kerala held out longer.
7. Trilingual form Hindi “imposition” description
The implementation of the tri-lingual NEP formula has been a continuing flashpoint, especially in Tamil Nadu, where contention intensified over 2025 and 2026. Then Prime Minister M K Stalin repeatedly accused the Center of using the CBSE policy and the Prime Minister’s SHRI scheme to impose Hindi through the back door.
Pradhan rejected this charge, and defended the formula as a means of “linguistic liberation” and multilingualism that allowed flexibility in teaching in the mother tongue. The conflict spilled over into funding disputes and rising tensions between the Central Kingdom and the south.
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8. Rationalization of NCERT Textbooks (2022-2023)
The ‘rationalisation’ exercise by NCERT has removed chapters and references relating to the history of the Mughals and courts, the 2002 Gujarat riots, the Cold War and aspects of the democratic struggle in India from textbooks, particularly in Class XII political science and history. The ministry defended the practice as an attempt to reduce the academic burden in the era of the pandemic, but historians, intellectuals and opposition leaders accused it of “naturalizing” the school curriculum and politically sanitizing history.
9. Draft rules for selecting vice presidents of the university (January 2025)
The draft UGC regulations circulated in January 2025 proposed expanding eligibility for vice-chancellor positions to include non-academics and industry professionals, while expanding the role of governors and visitors on search committees. Non-BJP-ruled states and academic bodies opposed the move as an encroachment on federalism, states’ rights and autonomy of universities, with several states passing resolutions against the draft rules and reviving the debate over central encroachment in higher education.
Read also: ‘Something very extraordinary’: Why the Opposition wants to take up NEET paper leak in Parliament with an adjournment motion
10. Class Equality Rules and Survival of the Supreme Court (2026)
In early 2026, the UGC notified the Regulations for Promoting Equality in Higher Educational Institutions, which aim to address caste discrimination through campus equality committees and definitions focusing on SC/ST/OBC categories. These regulations have drawn criticism over potential abuse, concerns of reverse discrimination, and fears of social division, leading to legal challenges. The Supreme Court stayed its implementation in January 2026, ordering that the 2012 regulations continue to apply while it sought the Centre’s response.
