Federal Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that his resignation on Saturday was not a matter of personal prestige, and that he resigned to prevent what he described as anti-national forces from exploiting the unrest caused by leaked examination papers.
“So that anti-national forces do not take advantage of the situation that has arisen in Jantar Mantar and across the country, so that the unity of the country remains intact, so that the future of any student in India does not get entangled in legal complications, and so that our children invest their time in studies and focus on building their careers – keeping in mind all these aspects, I have tendered my resignation to the honorable Prime Minister,” he said in a two-page note in Hindi posted on social media.
“It’s not about individual status for me,” he wrote.
Read also: ‘To ensure that anti-national forces are not exploited’: What Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation letter says
Pradhan also said that people holding responsible positions tried to obstruct and mislead the students during the stir. He added: “But even during this period, people in responsible positions tried to create obstacles in order to mislead many students, which caused me great suffering.” He did not mention anyone’s name or go into details.
Elsewhere in the memo, he described students’ expectations as legitimate. “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 commitment on the part of all of us in our political and social life.”
Defends government’s handling of NEET class
Much of the rest was a defense of his handling of the NEET-UG paper leak. He added that the government immediately took note of the irregularities in the examination conducted on May 3, handed over the investigation to the CBI, canceled the examination and announced a date for re-examination.
Read also: “It is not a matter of personal prestige”: Dharmendra Pradhan resigns over paper leaks
“Besides, it has been decided that from next year onwards, this examination will be conducted in CBT (Computer-Based Test) mode. During this period, our primary priority has been to ensure smooth conduct of examination for over two million students. For this reason, the work has been carried out under the ‘Whole of Government Approach.’
He thanked the Prime Minister for giving him the opportunity to work “under his wise leadership.”
