Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned amid the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. He took this decision in the interest of the students. Congress leader P. Chidambaram welcomed the resignation and said it would open the way for discussion in Parliament.
New Delhi [भारत]July 25 (ANI): Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Saturday welcomed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He expressed hope that this step would pave the way for constructive discussion in Parliament and the public sector.
Reacting to the news of the Education Minister stepping down amid the ongoing student protests and parliamentary deadlock over examination irregularities, Chidambaram said he hoped the decision would ease the current tension. “I have just received the news that the Union Education Minister has resigned. I welcome the resignation. I hope this will calm the situation and open the way for discussion on fundamental issues inside and outside Parliament,” he wrote on Twitter.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday resigned from the Union Council of Ministers amid nationwide protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. Pradhan said he was stepping down in the larger interest of students so that the youth of the country “do not fall into the trap of confusion.”
What did Dharmendra Pradhan say on his resignation?
In his resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pradhan highlighted his long association with education and reiterated his commitment towards the aspirations of India’s youth. Pradhan said, “For more than four decades, I have been associated with students, teachers and the cause of education reform. I have always believed that a strong, inclusive and visionary education system is the foundation of a strong nation.”
Recalling the NEET-UG controversy, Pradhan said the Center took immediate action after irregularities came to light in the May 3 exam. “However, irregularities were found in the NEET-UG examination held on May 3, 2026. The Government of India immediately took cognizance of the matter, handed over the investigation to the CBI, canceled the examination and announced the date of re-examination. With this, it was decided that from next year the examination will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode,” he said.
The Sambalpur MP stressed that the government’s priority was to ensure that the interests of over two million students were protected during the re-examination process. Pradhan said, “During this period, our main concern was to ensure that the examinations were conducted smoothly for more than two million students… I took responsibility of the situation from day one and never turned away from it. My resolve was that we will not let the future of any meritorious student be harmed because of the examination controversy.”
He said that the results of NEET-UG declared on July 16 were satisfactory, in which many meritorious students from economically weaker sections have also achieved success. “The NEET-UG results declared on July 16 were satisfactory, with many meritorious students from economically weaker backgrounds also achieving success,” he said. (ANI)
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