Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned after 37 days of agitation over NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. After this movement led by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and Sonam Wangchuk, the government has accepted the demands of the protesters.
New Delhi [भारत]July 25 (ANI): A 37-day long protest ended with the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday afternoon. The movement started as a satirical social media account following CJI Surya Kant’s remarks. Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) withdrew its protest from Jantar Mantar after receiving assurance from the government on its demands.
Dharmendra Pradhan resigns from the Council of Ministers amid nationwide protests over NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. The usually deserted Jantar Mantar protest site was bustling with activity as youth and students joined the CJP-led protest with creative banners and Genji slang. After over a week of protests, the movement gained new momentum when activist Sonam Wangchuk from Ladakh joined it and became the face of the movement with her 26-day long hunger strike.
How did the movement gain momentum?
Along with Wangchuk, six student union leaders also went on hunger strike. Three of them were reportedly hospitalised, while the other three broke their fast on 20 July. A large number of people gathered at Jantar Mantar after Delhi Police took Wangchuk from the protest site to Safdarjung Hospital, he was later shifted to a private hospital in Gurugram on the orders of the Delhi High Court.
The movement reached its peak on 20 July with the ‘Chalo Sansad’ march, which was met with police action against the protesters. The police action was criticized by the opposition, while the police said that the protest had turned violent. After July 20, pressure started increasing due to nationwide protests, in which many opposition leaders also came forward to join the movement. Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, senior CPI(M) leader Vrinda Karat, CPI MP P. Santosh, former Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad were among the leaders who joined the CJP at Jantar Mantar.
Pradhan’s resignation and government’s stand
Finally, today Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was later accepted. After this announcement made by Pradhan on the occasion, an atmosphere of celebration was created at the protest site. In his letter, Pradhan said he was stepping down in the larger interest of students to ensure that the youth of the country “do not fall into the trap of confusion.” He highlighted his long association with education and reaffirmed his commitment to 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. 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. Along with this, it was decided that from next year the examination will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode,” he said.
Pralhad Joshi got the responsibility of Education Ministry
After Pradhan’s departure, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi was given the charge of the Education Ministry. Joshi, MP from Dharwad constituency of Karnataka, is holding the responsibilities of Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy. During his previous tenure, he was the Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs.
The government accepted the demands of the protesters
Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh held the third round of talks with the CJP and accepted their demands of providing appropriate compensation to the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and giving assurance of withdrawal of FIRs registered against protesters anywhere in India. Nadda said the government will carefully examine the organisation’s five-point charter on examination reforms and take necessary steps after discussion. The next round of talks is scheduled after four weeks.
who said what?
Sonam Wangchuk said the victory of democracy
Sonam Wangchuk, the face of the movement, urged students and protesters to remain polite and congratulated the youth for achieving accountability through peaceful democratic means. Wangchuk called on the movement to now focus on long-term reforms in education and governance. Wangchuk told reporters at Medanta Hospital, “I welcome and respect the step taken by the government and Dharmendra Pradhan ji. I congratulate all the countrymen, because this is the victory of democracy that we have seen today. We should continue to protect democracy in India in the future also.” He credited the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), volunteers, students and citizens across the country for sustaining the movement and thanked them for maintaining peace despite tension during the protests.
CJP said- this is just the beginning
The CJP hailed the activist’s 26-day hunger strike as the moral force behind the movement against the NEET-UG paper leak, and said her Gandhian Satyagraha “has woken up the entire nation.” After CJP withdrew its protest from Jantar Mantar, spokesperson Saurav Das said the organization would continue to raise youth issues. Das told reporters, “This is just a trailer. The picture is yet to come. The youth of the country has woken up. The youth of the country will solve all the problems of this country. As a party, as a movement, this is clearly not ending. Now we will go across the country, listen to the youth, bring the best policies for them, and continue to demand accountability from everyone. This is just the beginning. There is a lot more to be done.”
The CJP worker further said, “Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is the first step; if the system is not improved, the youth will come back in large numbers. People have been beaten up. We have demanded an FIR against the police officers who did this, and we will work for it.” CJP founder Abhijit Dipke warned the organization’s supporters against a culture of personality-worship, and urged the public not to center this political victory around any one person.
Opposition targeted the government
Meanwhile, the Congress, which had launched its parallel agitation with ‘Students’ Echo’ and a protest at Lok Kalyan Marg on July 21, welcomed Pradhan’s resignation as a “victory for the youth” and called for “getting rid of the government”. “There is wisdom and courage in standing up. Don’t be afraid. Let’s get rid of this regime – this regime that is attacking India, destroying our Constitution, and taking over all our institutions,” he said in a video posted by Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. He also asked the Prime Minister to apologize to the protesters who were injured in the police action.
Later at a press conference, Gandhi made a direct attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and held him personally responsible for the alleged use of police force, including the use of pellet guns, against student protesters in the national capital. He emphasized that the protests were a result of failing “education, media and job creation systems” in the country, and said that this could seriously affect the country in the event of a future economic crisis.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed happiness over Pradhan’s resignation, saying that people have “started getting their country back.” He said, “This is a lesson for every ruler of the country; you have to listen to the will of the people. The will of the people is paramount; there is nothing above it. No single leader, no dictator, no single force can stop the will of the Indian people.” He highlighted that Rahul Gandhi supported the nationwide student movement while leading the party and its student and youth wing.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also said on Twitter, “India’s ‘students’ echo’ has finally reached the threshold of arrogant power. This is the victory of lakhs of our youth who raised their voice on the streets across the country to fix the education system. This is the victory of truth and the defeat of Modi’s stubbornness.”
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav called it “a victory for the youth and the new generation who came forward with their demands.” NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, who had joined the CJP at Jantar Mantar on July 21, presented Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as a symbol of the unity and strength of the youth. In Maharashtra, the Thackeray brothers also called it a victory for the youth, with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray saying “a cockroach has tamed a dictator.” AAP leader Manish Sisodia said that “the children and students of this country have accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan ji” and called for a large-scale education revolution in the country.
In a video posted on social media, BJD chief Naveen Patnaik said, “Jane ji, I am proud of all of you. You are truly the strength of our democracy.” Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said that “people’s power is bigger than any office or authority,” as leaders of opposition parties described Pradhan’s resignation as a victory for students, democracy and sustained public pressure.
The ruling party pointed out the sensitivity of the government
Meanwhile, the ruling party linked the resignation to a demonstration of the government’s sensitivity towards the youth of the country. Union Minister Rajnath Singh said the move reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to keeping student voices at the center of governance. In a post on Twitter, Singh asserted, “Keeping in mind the views and sentiments of our youth and students, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned from his post. This resignation is proof that concern for the sentiments of our students and youth is paramount for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and our government.”
He further said on X, “Whatever concerns students have regarding the NEET exam, paper leaks and necessary reforms in the education system, they are being addressed with utmost seriousness and sensitivity by our government. Our top priority is to understand the genuine concerns of our students, address them promptly and ensure that they know that their voices are being heard.” Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also acknowledged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s “lifelong association with public life and student welfare”.
The movement was highlighted on social media with massive followership and a flood of posts; However, it did not fail to garner grassroots support, and the students were ultimately successful in getting their demands met. After days of disruptions and adjournments, the Center and the Opposition are set to face off in Parliament. The Center will introduce the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha on Monday, which provides for fast-track courts and harsher penalties. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)