Dharmendra Pradhan resigns as Union Education Minister amid paper leak protests

New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday resigned from the Union Cabinet amid mounting pressure over alleged examination paper leaks and nationwide protests led by students and the Cockroach Janta party (CJP), which had been demanding his resignation over the issue.

In his resignation letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pradhan said the decision was taken to protect the interests of students, uphold the integrity of the examination system and prevent the issue from being exploited further.

He said the Centre had acted promptly after irregularities in the NEET-UG examination came to light by handing over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), cancelling the examination and conducting a re-test on June 21. He also announced that NEET would be held in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode from next year to improve transparency.

Pradhan said he had accepted responsibility for the situation from the outset and was committed to ensuring that deserving students did not suffer because of the “exam mafia.” However, he expressed anguish over recent developments, alleging that attempts were made to mislead students during the controversy.

Thanking Prime Minister Modi for his guidance and support, Pradhan said he would continue serving the nation and working for the welfare of the youth and the people of Odisha.