Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following protests over rigging in the NEET exam. The hunger strike was going on for 26 days at Jantar Mantar under the leadership of Sonam Wangchuk. This has been called the victory of democracy.
New Delhi [भारत]July 25 (ANI): After weeks of nationwide protests and a grueling 26-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This step has been taken in response to the growing public anger over allegations of exam rigging and paper leaks, especially over the NEET-UG exam.
Sonam Wangchuk said ‘victory of democracy’
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who led the hunger strike with the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and student groups, called the development a major milestone for direct civil action in India. Responding to the news on Twitter, Sonam Wangchuk praised the spirit of the youth and citizens of the country. Wangchuk posted, “This is a victory of democracy. Direct democracy… straight from the streets. This is a victory of peace, patience and perseverance. Congratulations to the CJP, Gen Z of the country and thank you to all the citizens for rising up from every corner of the country shunning fear and intimidation. From accountability, now to reforms,” Wangchuk posted.
Wangchuk emphasized that it was important to hold the government accountable, but the ultimate goal should now be toward systemic reforms within India’s education system. His comments came after the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who said he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that “anti-national forces” do not take advantage of the situation arising out of protests over exam irregularities.
CJP announces to continue the movement
Welcoming the minister’s resignation, the CJP said it will continue its agitation at Jantar Mantar until all its demands are met. Addressing supporters, CJP leader Abhijit Dipke said, “It was said that there are no resignations in this government. The world bends, we need someone to bend. We have done it,” calling the resignation the first by a Union minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Visuals from the protest site showed protesters rejoicing and celebrating after the news of Pradhan’s resignation broke. Dipke said the agitation will continue until the remaining demands are met, including Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of students who committed suicide over exam-related issues and action against Delhi Police personnel accused of lathi-charge on protesters.
In a post on Twitter, the CJP described Pradhan’s resignation as an achievement, but listed two demands as pending: compensation for the affected families and an assurance that no action would be taken against the student protesters.
What did Dharmendra Pradhan say in his resignation?
In his resignation letter shared on Twitter, Pradhan said he has taken the decision in the larger interest of the students and the nation. He wrote, “Anti-national forces should not take advantage of the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and other places in the country. The unity of the country should be maintained. The future of every student of India should not get entangled in legal troubles.”
Pradhan said he has always believed in the aspirations and strength of India’s youth and the developments of the last few days have deeply saddened him.
Government steps and preparations for reforms
Defending the government’s stance in handling the NEET-UG controversy, Pradhan said that due to irregularities found in the May 3, 2026 exam, the Center immediately handed over the investigation to the CBI, canceled the exam and announced re-examination. He said that the re-examination was successfully conducted for more than two million candidates on June 21 with the cooperation of state governments, district administrations, students, parents and guardians.
He also announced that the NEET-UG exam will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode from next year to strengthen transparency.
Meanwhile, the Center is preparing to bring in a strict anti-paper-leak law that will include special fast-track courts, a Special Task Force (STF) and other measures aimed at curbing exam malpractices across the country. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)