Dharmendra Pradhan resigns as Education Minister amid massive protests over paper leak

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday, after weeks of massive student protests in Delhi demanding his resignation over examination irregularities, particularly the leak of NEET-UG papers.

Pradhan announced his resignation from the position at X. He said he took the decision keeping the future of the students in mind. “…To ensure that anti-national elements do not take advantage of the situation in Jantar Mantar and across the country, that the nation remains united, and that students in India do not get bogged down in legal complexities and focus on their studies and careers, I have tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister…”, the letter said. Follow live updates on the CJP protest here.

The development comes a day after spokespeople for the Kokruche Janta Party (CJP), the Abhijit Debke-led party that led the protests, met union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.

After the meeting, the CJP said the government has been given some time to take a decision on Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.

I have been dedicated to students, teachers, and education reform for more than four decades. I have always had a firm belief that a strong, comprehensive and visionary education system is the foundation of a strong nation.

I deeply respect the legitimate aspirations, feelings and expectations of the country’s youth. Fulfilling the dreams of India’s young generation has been a moral obligation in all our political and social life. I express my gratitude to the Honorable Prime Minister for giving me the opportunity to serve the nation under his wise leadership.

However, irregularities were found in The NEET-UG examination was conducted on May 3, 2026. After taking immediate cognizance, the Government of India handed over the investigation to the CBI, canceled the examination, and announced the re-examination date. In addition, it has been decided to conduct this test in CBT (Computer Based Test) mode starting next year.

During this period, our main priority was to ensure that the exam for over 20,000 students ran smoothly. For this reason, the work was carried out under a “whole of government approach”. In this, the state governments and especially the district administrations, along with the Government of India, played a crucial role. Moreover, with the cooperation of students, parents and guardians, this test was completed on June 21, 2026.

From day one, I took responsibility and never walked away from the situation. I am determined that we will not allow the future of any worthy student to be ruined by the examination mafia, nor will we allow injustice to be done to any student.

the The NEET-UG results declared on July 16 were satisfactory, with several meritorious students from disadvantaged backgrounds also achieving success.

However, even during this time, people who were in responsible positions tried to create obstacles and mislead many students, which upset me greatly.

I have always been a person with unwavering faith in the power of our democracy, and I have always deeply respected the aspirations, dreams and expectations of young people. Not only do they represent the future of India, they also represent the movers, builders and architects of a new and progressive India.

Looking at the developments over the past 10 days, I am deeply saddened in my heart. This is not a matter of personal prestige for me.

The youth power of India is the real strength of this country.

We will not allow the country’s youth power to get caught in a web of confusion – that is my resolve.

Keeping in mind that anti-national forces should not take advantage of the situation created in Jantar Mantar and throughout the country, that the unity of the nation remains intact, that the future of even a single student in India is not tangled in legal complexities, and that our children are investing their time in studying and focusing on building their careers – keeping in mind all this, I have sent my resignation to the honorable Prime Minister.

I express my sincere gratitude to His Excellency the Prime Minister for his guidance, trust and continued support. At the same time, I also extend my thanks to all my esteemed colleagues in the Cabinet, the Ministry’s officials and staff, and all the individuals with whom I have had the honor of working. Serving the nation is the top priority in my life. I will always be dedicated to that.

With the blessings of Lord Shri Jagannath Ji, I will continue to devote myself in all possible ways in the future to fulfill the aspirations of Mother India, the people of Odisha and the youth of the country.

for you,

Dharmendra Pradhan

During a media interaction, Debki later said: “Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned. This resignation is proof that if you people do not fear, if you do not bow down to this government, we can accept anyone’s resignation.”

Soon after Pradhan’s announcement, the CJP shared a video on Instagram, showing people at Jantar Mantar celebrating with Dipki sitting on his knees and on his phone.

The CJP began its protest in Delhi last month, and student support for the agitation has been growing since climate activist Sonam Wangchuk began his hunger strike. Although Wangchuk canceled his fast this week, the APC remained steadfast on Pradhan’s resignation demand, stating that “nothing less” would be acceptable.

After the second meeting of the AKP government on Friday, Debke’s party said the government had agreed “in principle” to two of the three demands and would decide on Pradhan’s resignation at a later date.

About 24 hours later, Pradhan tendered his resignation.

NEET-UG 2026 exam was conducted on May 3, but the government announced its cancellation on May 12, due to a paper leak. The decision caused a huge uproar and the backlash only increased after several of the hopefuls died by suicide. The test was repeated on June 21 and the results were announced this month.