India’s Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns from his post on Saturday amid widespread student-led protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG question paper leak. Multiple outlets report that he submits his resignation letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The protests demand his dismissal and accountability related to the exam controversy.
Several reports state that the government has already taken cognizance of irregularities, including ordering a CBI investigation and cancelling the affected NEET-UG exam, with a re-examination/re-sit being conducted for candidates. France 24 also reports that the leak undermines public trust in India’s university testing system and that more than two million candidates are forced to re-sit the test.
In his resignation statement and letters, Pradhan says he takes responsibility and aims to protect students’ futures, adding that he does not want the issue to be “entangled in legal complexities” for students. He also expresses gratitude for the opportunity to serve and refers to concerns about misuse by “anti-national” elements, according to multiple accounts.
