Dharmendra Pradhan resigns as Education Minister amid NEET-UG leak protests and CJP demands

The Narendra Modi-led government has often declared proudly that its ministers do not resign under public pressure, unlike those from previous governments. However, that hubris was shattered on July 25 when Dharmendra Pradhan, India’s education minister, was forced to resign following widespread youth anger and resistance galvanised by the successful protest in New Delhi led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The first such capitulation by a cabinet minister since Modi came into power in 2014 has prompted questions on the wider political impact of this youth-led movement on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of key state elections, including in India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, in 2027. While CJP maintains it has no immediate plans to transform itself into a political party, its unprecedented success and continuing pressure on the government has not only dented Modi’s invincibility but also revitalised the opposition, both on the streets and in Parliament. Modi biography author and political commentator Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay described the successful protests as “a big blow to Modi’s strongman image”, as well as “possibly a big turning point in Indian political history”. “The fear of the regime has now gone,” he told The Straits Times, noting how young people continued protesting despite being beaten with batons by the police, tear-gassed and even fired upon with pellet guns by paramilitary forces. Mukhopadhyay said Pradhan’s resignation had also reignited the popularity of youth-led protests that “had faded from public minds”. “The romanticism of the idea of a protest has come back in a big way after several decades in India,” he added. This could encourage similar protest movements on other issues by other groups, further mobilising public anger and potentially creating problems for the government, he noted. India’s opposition parties have latched on to the momentum generated by these protests and kept the pressure up on the government. On July 29, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi directed his criticism in Parliament at Home Minister Amit Shah, who controls Delhi Police, as well as the country’s paramilitary forces, demanding that he, too, resign for having “ordered the shooting of our students”. BJP has denied this charge. “On what basis are you saying this?” shot back Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke echoed Gandhi’s demand on July 30, alleging that the July 20 attacks on protesters during their attempted parliament march against examination irregularities were carried out on Shah’s instructions. Why did the government give in to CJP’s demands? Analysts have said that the government’s decision to accede to CJP’s demands was prompted by fears that further repression of the protests could harm BJP’s support base among the youth. Around 39 per cent of voters between the ages of 18 and 25 had voted for BJP in the 2024 general election, giving it the largest youth vote share among all political parties. Yet, BJP failed to gauge the groundswell of anger among young people, especially over exam paper leaks. Even children of BJP ministers and allies either joined the protest or expressed support online. At Jantar Mantar, the protest site in New Delhi, young people coalesced across different religions and social groups – 30-year-old Dipke himself is a Dalit, a marginalised Hindu caste. The protesters also couched their opposition with patriotism and belief in India’s constitutional ideals, a heady mix that proved difficult for BJP to counter. Modi, who came under direct attack from the outspoken youth, has sought to limit the damage with several actions. These include the passage of an anti-paper leak legislation in the lower house of Parliament on July 29, as well as the creation of a task force to set up a leak-proof examination system. The prime minister also released a series of informal, selfie-style vertical videos to reach out to young people and urged his ministers to be more active on Instagram. CJP has criticised these moves, with Dipke saying that Modi should quit the prime minister’s post and instead “become an influencer”. CJP and other protesting youth-led groups have also questioned the effectiveness of the new measures, arguing that they do not focus on factors that lead to examination paper leaks in the first place and fail to fix accountability at top levels of the government. The groups have also kept up their campaign to ensure that students and other protesters are released from captivity and have charges against them dropped, something that was agreed to between the government and CJP. “This government must understand that the students’ anger has not subsided. There is immense anger among the people, and if required, protests will happen again and be bigger than the previous one,” CJP posted on X on July 29. Faced with these threats, the authorities have stepped up security around Jantar Mantar, even welding metal barricades together for better reinforcement against protesters. The successful protest has reinvigorated several other youth-led organisations that had existed for decades before CJP came into being in May 2026 and had rallied together to support the movement at Jantar Mantar. Among them is the left-leaning All India Students’ Association. Its president, Neha, who prefers to use only her first name, said: “The win is, of course, the resignation of an incapable education minister, but it is also a win that… not even BJP, after more than 10 years of being in power, can say we are beyond democracy and our Cabinet ministers need not concern themselves with serving the public. “It has shown us that BJP can be defeated by the combined might of the people of this country. And it gives us hope for the several other battles that have been continuing so far and where we’ve not yet registered victory.” In recent days, copycat protests by schoolchildren demanding better education facilities at government schools have erupted in three states – Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan. Some protesting youth groups even returned to Jantar Mantar on July 29 to condemn the “police crackdown” on protesters in BJP-governed states such as West Bengal, Bihar and Assam. BJP fights back ahead of state polls Meanwhile, the government has also put up a fight – with the authorities asking social media platforms to take down posts critical or abusive of Modi, and pro-BJP social media users even trying to dox students who had criticised the Prime Minister openly on camera. BJP leaders even gave Pradhan a rousing welcome at Parliament on July 26, a day after his resignation. “They are certainly not bowing down,” said Mukhopadhyay, noting there are legitimate fears of further “repression (by BJP) and tightening of the noose around democracy”. The first big electoral test following these protests will come in the first quarter of 2027, with state elections in Uttar Pradesh, which is currently governed by BJP. Amitabh Tiwari, a political strategist and founder of Vote Vibe, an opinion polling agency, said the protests reflect a malaise beyond just paper leaks, including issues such as youth unemployment. He added that while they pose an electoral challenge to BJP, the protests had also highlighted the opposition’s failure to take up these longstanding concerns effectively and draw public support the way CJP had with an estimated tens of thousands of protesters on the ground and millions of followers online. “If the credit itself has not accrued to the opposition parties for these protests and resignation, I feel it is unlikely that the electoral benefit could accrue to them,” said Tiwari. Opposition parties, he noted, have to go beyond mere criticism of the government and must offer tangible solutions for youth-related concerns to translate youth anger into votes. “That is a missing link. If they do that, then, of course, they could see some gains,” he added. A pushback against gerontocracy Tiwari told ST the protests are also a warning sign for India’s gerontocracy that has failed to give young people a fair share in governance and take up their issues. “The youth are saying our voice is unheard in this entire political system, that India is a young country but one that is ruled by grandfathers and grandmothers,” he said. India has a young population, with a median age of 29 years, but the average age of MPs elected in 2024 stood at 56 years. Nearly 50 per cent of the 1,000-plus respondents of a snap poll conducted in Indian cities by Vote Vibe in June had said that there potentially exists a political space for a party focused mainly on youth-related concerns. “I see it as a call for, rather than a threat to, political parties to give more representation to youth in their ecosystems,” said Tiwari. “And if that does not happen, they’re signalling that they can align with forces like CJP were they to plunge into politics in the future.” This article originally appeared on The Straits Times, an ANN partner of Dawn.

The pomp and celebration with which Dharmendra Pradhan was received by his colleagues in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Parliament as he walked in a day after his resignation as India's education minister surprised many. Pradhan was no hero of the moment, no achiever of difficult assignments to receive the headgear and the stole that were bestowed upon him. The only distinction, a dubious one at that, he could boast of was that he was the first minister in any Cabinet since 2014 to have been forced to step down. His hand was forced not by political circumstances or personal commitments but by the powerful uprising of lakhs of students and young Indians across the country, most prominently at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where they were met with the viciousness of lathis with embedded nails, tear gas shells and pellet guns of the Rapid Action Force.Accountability In EducationPradhan, as the Cabinet minister in charge of education, had to be held accountable and responsible for the repeated exam paper leaks, most notably of the all-important NEET examination taken by millions of students this year, and the absolute mess in the marking of CBSE answer sheets, besides other sins of omission and commission in India's education sector. As many as 21 students died by suicide after the NEET paper leaks, mentioning them as the final straw. If anything, Pradhan should have been contrite about it all, shown some remorse and perhaps even offered an apology. Instead, given the track record of the government he was a part of, which does not accept accountability or responsibility for its deeds and decisions, Pradhan braved it out, perhaps secure in the belief that he would not be held answerable. Students and other young Indians, evidently, had other ideas. They prevailed; their demand won the day.Celebration Sparks CriticismPradhan, a student leader of the BJP's student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, from Odisha, who had, ironically, protested against paper leaks in his student days, is a consummate and successful politician after all—with thick skin and low ethics.Even by those standards, he failed the test. His colleagues who felicitated him, "garlanding him as if he had returned after fighting a war with Pakistan... returned victorious from the border", as Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi pointed out, clearly have even lower standards of ethics and probity in public life. Essentially, what Pradhan and his exultant colleagues in Parliament were conveying to the protesters, some of whom lay injured and hundreds of whom now face FIRs, is that their act of putting their lives on the line did not matter. The act was like cocking a snook at the young; it showed not only their insensitivity but also the utter lack of accountability—precisely what the protesters had demanded all along.

New Delhi: The government had offered the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to change former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's portfolio instead of seeking his resignation, according to reports.The Centre's delegation, comprising Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, had conveyed to CJP's Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, NDTV reported, citing sources. The Union Ministers said that removing a minister from office or changing their portfolio was entirely the Prime Minister’s prerogative.Nadda and Singh met the CJP delegation at the former's residence on July 20 for the first time, amid a massive crackdown on protesters taking place on the streets of Delhi during the "Sansad Chalo" march called by the protesters.However, the CJP rejected the proposal outright and made it clear that it would accept no alternative to Education Minister Pradhan’s resignation.Pradhan's resignationPradhan resigned as Education Minister on Saturday afternoon, just hours before the third round of talks between the CJP and Union ministers. After that, the CJP called off its protest in a joint press conference with the negotiators from the government's side.#WATCH | Delhi: Former Union Education Minister and BJP MP Dharmendra Pradhan arrives at the Parliament. BJP-NDA MPs sloganeer "Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad" as they receive him here. pic.twitter.com/7DHXIzMkvI— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2026 Pradhan on Monday received a warm welcome from NDA leaders in Parliament, in a visible show of support for the former Education Minister. On the other hand, Opposition MPs led by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held a protest over the alleged use of excessive force against students during the demonstrations.Anti-paper leak billParliament is likely to take up a discussion today on a bill seeking to amend the anti-paper leak law. The bill was tabled in Parliament on Monday amid sloganeering by the Opposition, which demanded answers from the Centre over the use of police force against protesters in Delhi and across the country.BJP Targets CJP Over Viral 'Party' Video After Pradhan's Resignation; Outfit Responds With 'Uncle, Auntie' SwipeThe Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, proposes more stringent punishment for examination fraud, increasing the maximum jail term from five years to 10 years and imposing a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.

A viral video showing members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) celebrating at a Delhi hotel has sparked a heated debate on social media, with critics questioning the timing of the gathering after the youth-led group's 37-day protest at Jantar Mantar came to an end.More Shamelessness pic.twitter.com/auLfntRU9F— Dear Men (@Dear_Men_Life) July 26, 2026The videos, which have been widely shared on social media, show CJP members dancing and celebrating to music. The clips surfaced days after the group called off its sit-in following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.More videos pic.twitter.com/iyMtyWMgsF— Dear Men (@Dear_Men_Life) July 26, 2026The celebrations have drawn criticism from some social media users, who questioned whether the protesters should have been celebrating at a time when the capital was still dealing with the aftermath of clashes between protesters and police.It just goes to show that the government and godi anchors simply do not understand the language of Gen Z and younger generations.We can sit on the road for as long as it takes. We can protest while dancing. We can organise while sipping cold coffee. We can fight for change… https://t.co/3URTemFOoA— Saurav Das (@SauravDassss) July 27, 2026Saurav Das responds to criticismAmid the backlash, Saurav Das addressed the criticism in a post on X. Defending the celebrations, Das said the reaction reflected a lack of understanding of how younger generations approach activism and social movements."It just goes to show that the government and godi anchors simply do not understand the language of Gen Z and younger generations," Das wrote.He argued that protesting and celebrating are not necessarily contradictory, adding that young people can continue to fight for change while expressing themselves in ways that may differ from traditional forms of activism."We can sit on the road for as long as it takes. We can protest while dancing. We can organise while sipping cold coffee. We can fight for change without looking the way previous generations think a movement should look (no shade on anyone!)," he said.Describing the younger generation as "confident, creative, resilient" and "impossible to stereotype", Das added, "The uncles and aunties can keep complaining. They'll just have to deal with us!"Shocking Video of Dance & celebration at some big hotel by CJP members after Pradhan Resignation.Look at these Frauds.Remember these elites didn't suffered single Lathicharge & tears gas.While many poor students paid from their pocket & also got wounds.Fraud CJP pic.twitter.com/kDEQM02vEu— Dear Men (@Dear_Men_Life) July 26, 2026Social media reactions dividedThe videos have triggered mixed reactions online. While some users defended the celebrations as a way for young protesters to mark what they viewed as a significant moment, others criticised the CJP members for celebrating at a hotel.One X user, Dear Men, shared a video with a critical caption, questioning whether the members seen celebrating had faced the same hardships as protesters who were injured during the agitation."Shocking Video of Dance & celebration at some big hotel by CJP members after Pradhan Resignation. Look at these Frauds," the post said.The user further alleged that some protesters had faced police action during the agitation while others were celebrating away from the protest site. The comments have added to the wider online debate over who represented the movement and how its leaders chose to mark its conclusion.pic.twitter.com/VSArqS98OJ— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) July 25, 2026Protest called off after resignationDays after the clashes, Pradhan announced his resignation on Saturday, saying that he did not want the situation to be exploited by "anti-national forces".Following the resignation, CJP leaders announced that they would withdraw their agitation on July 26 after holding a meeting with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.According to the CJP, several of its demands had been accepted, including Pradhan's resignation, compensation for families of students who had died by suicide amid the exam-related turmoil and the withdrawal of FIRs filed against protesters in Delhi and BJP-ruled states.A follow-up meeting on wider education reforms was also scheduled to take place four weeks later.The end of the protest was marked by celebrations at Jantar Mantar, where protesters were seen dancing and chanting before the site was cleared.

New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said he had tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the larger interests of students and the country following the controversy surrounding the 2026 NEET-UG examination. In an open letter addressed to the nation's youth, Pradhan said the events of the past 10 days had saddened him and stressed that the issue was not one of his "personal prestige". He cautioned that anti-national forces should not be allowed to exploit the situation unfolding at Delhi's Jantar Mantar or elsewhere in the country, adding that national unity must remain intact. Charging that "certain individuals occupying responsible positions" had attempted to mislead students and create obstacles, he said the developments had caused him "deep anguish". He also said he would not allow the country's youth to "fall into confusion or deception", describing them as India's "real strength" and the builders of a developed nation. Also Watch:Pradhan urged that no student's future should become entangled in prolonged legal disputes and appealed to students to devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers. The minister acknowledged that irregularities had come to light in the May 3 NEET-UG examination. He said the Centre acted swiftly by handing the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), cancelling the examination and announcing a fresh test. He added that, from next year onwards, NEET would be conducted in the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode. Pradhan said the government's foremost priority during the crisis was to ensure that examinations for more than 20 lakh students were conducted smoothly.According to him, the Centre, state governments, district administrations, students, parents and guardians all worked together under a "whole-ofgovernment approach", enabling the re-conducted examination to be completed successfully on June 21. He also described the results, declared on July 16, as satisfactory, saying they enabled many meritorious students from economically weaker backgrounds to succeed. The minister said he had accepted responsibility from the very first day and had never attempted to evade accountability. This is democracy. He has resigned. We have two more demands. We won't go like this.Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned. But the families of the children who committed suicide should receive compensation of one crore rupees. They should get it. One crore rupees compensation to all… pic.twitter.com/CyhfGDUola— Cockroach is Back (@Cockroachisback) July 25, 2026 "I was determined that no meritorious student's future would be ruined because of the examination mafia and that no student would suffer injustice," he said. Recalling his four-decade association with education, Pradhan said he had always believed that a strong, inclusive and transparent education system was the foundation of a strong nation. He said fulfilling the aspirations of India's youth had always been a moral commitment in public life and reaffirmed his faith in the strength of Indian democracy. CJP Protesters List Key Demands For New Education Minister After Dharmendra Pradhan's ExitExpressing gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for his "guidance, trust and constant support", Pradhan also thanked his Cabinet colleagues, officers and staff of the Education Ministry, and all those with whom he had worked. Concluding the letter, he said that with the blessings of Lord Jagannath he would continue to dedicate himself to Mother India, the people of Odisha and the fulfilment of the aspirations of the country's youth, adding that service to the nation would always remain the highest priority of his life.

New Delhi, July 26: Reacting to Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the BJP considers the country, youth and students more important than any position.In a post on X, Shah said, "For BJP workers, the country, our youth, and students are far more important than any position. Today, the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan from his post exemplifies this very principle."भाजपा के कार्यकर्ताओं के लिए पद से कहीं अधिक महत्वपूर्ण देश, हमारी युवा पीढ़ी और विद्यार्थी हैं। आज केंद्रीय शिक्षा मंत्री श्री @dpradhanbjp जी का अपने पद से इस्तीफा इसी को दर्शाता है।मोदी सरकार देश के युवाओं की भावनाओं का सम्मान करती है और पेपर लीक के विरुद्ध आवश्यक सुधारों के… https://t.co/p12wLKGUkm— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 25, 2026 "The Modi government respects the sentiments of the country's youth and is committed to implementing the necessary reforms against paper leaks. The decisions taken by Modi ji to ensure strict punishment for those guilty of paper leaks are commendable. I am fully confident that these steps will ensure complete justice for the students who succeeded in the NEET examination," he further said.Pralhad Joshi Named New Education Minister Hours After Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation; Know His Educational QualificationShah Highlights Pradhan's TenureHighlighting Pradhan's tenure as Education Minister, Shah said, "During his tenure, Dharmendra Pradhan has brought about significant reforms in the effective implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), expansion of PM SHRI Schools, promotion of digital education, skill development, and strengthening industry-academia coordination. His tenure is a testament to his dedication to the resolve of making India a developed nation.""Youth and students far more important than any position": Amit Shah on Dharmendra Pradhan's resignationRead @ANI Story | https://t.co/mKmNg3oAY6#AmitShah #DharmendraPradhan #Youth #Education pic.twitter.com/OjprKzA96S— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) July 25, 2026 Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said his "heart is heavy" following Pradhan's resignation."As Dharmendra Pradhan submitted his resignation as the Union Minister of Education today, my heart is heavy. Public life often demands difficult decisions, but the contributions he has made towards nation-building will endure for generations. Through the National Education Policy 2020, he laid the foundation for an Education System that nurtures strong foundational literacy, promotes multidisciplinary learning and equips our Youth with advanced skills to compete confidently on the global stage. His vision was not merely to educate but to empower every young Indian to become a global citizen rooted in Bharat's values," Adhikari said on X.As Shri @dpradhanbjp Ji submitted his resignation as the Union Minister of Education today, my heart is heavy. Public life often demands difficult decisions, but the contributions he has made towards nation-building will endure for generations.His tenure was defined by…— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) July 25, 2026Pradhan stepped down following student protests over the NEET paper leak.Announcing his resignation earlier today, Pradhan said he had submitted it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the interest of students and to ensure that the ongoing protests over examination irregularities were not exploited by "anti-national forces."(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)