25 July, 2026 – New Delhi : Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday announced on X that he had resigned from the Union Cabinet, a move that fulfilled one of the primary demands of protesters who have been camping at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
Sharing his resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pradhan said the decision was guided by the need to safeguard students’ interests and ensure that the ongoing controversy did not adversely affect their future.
“The situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and in the country… anti-national forces should not take advantage of this situation, the unity of the country should be maintained, and the future of even a single student of India should not get entangled in legal complications. Our children should spend their time in studies and focus on building their careers. Keeping this in mind, I have sent my resignation to the Hon’ble Prime Minister,” he wrote.
Referring to the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination held on May 3, Pradhan said the Centre cancelled the examination after the irregularities came to light and handed over the probe to the CBI. The examination was later rescheduled, and the government also decided that NEET-UG would be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode from 2027.
He said the government’s immediate priority was to ensure the smooth conduct of examinations for more than 2 million students.
“During this period, our primary priority was to ensure the smooth conduct of examinations for over 2 million students. The Government of India, along with the state governments, especially the district administrations, played a crucial role. With the cooperation of students, guardians and parents, the examination was successfully conducted on June 21, 2026,” Pradhan said.
The outgoing minister said he had accepted responsibility for the crisis from the very beginning and had never tried to evade accountability.
“My resolve was that we would not allow the prospects of any meritorious student to be jeopardised by the exam mafia, nor would we allow any student to be treated unfairly. The NEET-UG results declared on July 16 were satisfactory, with many meritorious students from poor backgrounds also achieving success,” he said.
Expressing anguish over recent developments, Pradhan said he was saddened by the events of the past 10 days and stressed that the issue was never about personal prestige.
“This is not a matter of personal prestige for me. The youth power of India is the real strength of this country. I will not let the youth of the country get trapped in the vicious cycle of confusion—that is my resolve,” he wrote.
History
Pradhan also thanked his colleagues in the Union Council of Ministers, officials and staff of the Education Ministry, and everyone he had worked with during his tenure.
“Serving the nation is my highest priority in life. I will always remain dedicated to it,” he said.
The Tribune