On Saturday, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey defended Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation from the position of Indian Education Minister, saying that the decision was not taken under any pressure but was a personal choice.
He lauded Pradhan’s long association with the education sector and highlighted his role in introducing key reforms, including the National Education Policy (NEP) and changes in higher education and examination systems.
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“Dharmendra Pradhan did not resign under any pressure. He is a senior BJP leader who rose through the ranks of the ABVP and worked extensively in the education sector, bringing about major changes like new education policy, universities and examination systems. He took this decision on his own,” Dubey said.
He also urged parents to discourage their children from participating in such protests, saying: “I also appeal to parents not to push their children to such protests.”
Pradhan resigns
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.
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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.
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.
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After the meeting, the CJP said the government has been given some time to take a decision on Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
The Justice and Development Party withdraws its protest
The CJP ended its more than a month-long protest on July 25, declaring that the government had accepted all its demands. The party said in a tweet on Twitter: “The Cockroach Janta Party withdraws its nationwide agitation with immediate effect. The government has accepted all the demands of the Cockroach Janta Party.”
Here are the three major demands agreed to by the government, according to the CJP:
– Maximum possible compensation to families of suicides linked to NEET paper leakage.
– All FIRs issued by the Central government and NDA-ruled states will be withdrawn and no action will be taken against anyone participating in these protests in the future.
– The CJP 5-point exam reform charter will be studied by the government and the CJP will meet with the government to discuss these reforms further.
The NEET paper leak has sparked massive anger and questions against the government, given how a similar discrepancy occurred in the exam two years ago as well. What added fuel to this fire was the suicide of several students due to anxiety about retaking the NEET exam.
