Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns: Writes to PM Modi, says anti-national forces must not gain from NEET protest

Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned from the post of Union Education Minister. In a letter posted on X, he shares that he had been dedicated to students, teachers, and education reform for over four decades and deeply respects the aspirations, sentiments, and expectations of the nation's youth. The letter, originally in Hindi, reads, "I express my gratitude to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the opportunity I have had to serve the nation under his visionary leadership. However, irregularities were discovered in the NEET UG exam held on May 3, 2026. The Government of India immediately took cognizance of this, entrusted the investigation to the CBI, canceled the exam, and rescheduled the exam. It was also decided to conduct the exam in CBT (Computer-Based Test) mode from next year."

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NEET has dominated the headlines this week, with a series of key developments. Lakhs of protesters gathered on July 20 for the Parliament march, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted videos saying the culprits would not be spared, the NTA dismissed 47 officials, and Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi was transferred.

Echoing PM Modi's remarks in a video posted late night on July 23, Dharmendra Pradhan said that the govt's primary priority was to ensure the smooth conduct of examinations for over 2 million students. The Government of India, along with the state government, especially the district administration, played a crucial role. Furthermore, with the cooperation of students, guardians, and parents, the re-examination was held on June 21, 2026. However, Pradhan highlighted that even during this time, people holding responsible positions tried to create obstacles to mislead many students, which made him extremely sad. Pradhan said he is disturbed to see the series of events that have unfolded in the last 10 days and sent his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said that anti national forces should not be allowed to take advantage of situation at Jantar Mantar and across country.

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'I took responsibility from day 1'

The letter further reads, "From day one, I took responsibility for this and never turned away from this situation. I was determined not to let the prospects of any meritorious student be jeopardized by the exam mafia, not to allow any injustice to happen to any student."

Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation letter

Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation comes amid Cockroach Janta Party-led protests at the Jantar Mantar, demanding accountability over NEET UG 2026 paper leak and irregularities in the Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE's on-screen marking process.

The announcement comes almost an hour ahead of the centre-CJP talks at Constitution Club at 3:30 pm today. Earlier Union ministers met CJP leaders on July 24 and sought time on the decision of Pradhan's resignation.

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Protesters celebrate with joy at Jantar Mantar

What started with stone pelting and tear gas earlier today has ended with protesters dancing in the streets as soon as they heard of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. The CJP, which had been demanding Pradhan's sacking, has posted an updated roster which mentions that one of its demands has been met. The remaining demands are Rs 1 crore for the families of all students who died by suicide, no action against any student protesters, and a public apology from the RAF and Delhi Police. CJP's latest post on X reads "Jantar Mantar & Entire Country Is Still Waiting On The Rest Of The Demands."