Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns: Writes to PM Modi, apologises to students

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 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." CJP Protest LIVE updates.

Repeating what PM Modi said in his video posted late night on July 23, he 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 examination was completed on June 21, 2026.

'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."

NTA released NEET UG results on July 16. 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.

Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation comes amid Cockroach Janta Party-led protests at the Jantar Mantar, demanding accountability over National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Under Graduate, 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.

(This is a developing story)