Indian Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, resigned from his post on Saturday following days of nationwide student protests over examination paper leaks. The resignation is being viewed as a major victory for students, who had been demanding his departure over irregularities in the country’s examination system.
Announcing his decision on X, Pradhan said he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The announcement came as police used tear gas to disperse protesters in New Delhi, while another round of talks between protest leaders and government ministers was scheduled later in the day.
In his two-page resignation letter, Pradhan said he was stepping down to prevent “anti-national forces” from exploiting the situation, to preserve national unity, and to ensure that students’ futures were not affected by prolonged legal complications. He said his decision would allow students to focus on their education and careers.
It is worth noting that irregularities and exam paper leaks have caused great unrest in India, resulting in inhumane and brutal treatment of protestors by Indian police. It has also been reported that about 20 students have committed suicide following in the injustices by BJP govt. The incidents have led to strong condemnation and criticism by social activists.
The student group leading the protests, referred to as the “Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)” in the report, welcomed the resignation, posting on X: “The cockroaches have won… Democracy has won.”
The protest movement is being described as the biggest challenge faced by the Modi government from young people since it came to power in 2014. Opposition parties also backed the students’ demands, and the issue disrupted proceedings during Parliament’s ongoing Monsoon Session.
Defending his record, Pradhan said he had accepted responsibility from the beginning and never tried to avoid the issue. He said the government acted promptly after irregularities emerged in the medical entrance examination on May 3 by ordering a CBI investigation, cancelling the exam, announcing a re-test, and deciding to introduce a computer-based examination system from next year.
Pradhan also alleged that certain unidentified officials in positions of responsibility had misled students. He said the past ten days had been deeply painful and stressed that the controversy was not about his personal reputation, but about safeguarding the future of India’s youth.
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