President Droupadi Murmu accepted Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as India’s education minister Saturday and placed Pralhad Joshi in charge of the portfolio after weeks of protests over alleged NEET-UG paper leaks.
The president acted on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s advice, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique cited by The Hindu.
The Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, announced the immediate withdrawal of its nationwide agitation after Pradhan resigned and its representatives met Union ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh.
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das described the resignation as a victory for young people and “a first step towards accountability,” according to Zee News.
CJP said the government accepted all three of its listed demands.
The party said the government agreed to provide the maximum possible compensation to families affected by suicides related to the alleged NEET paper leak.
CJP also said all FIRs filed by the central government and governments in NDA-ruled states would be withdrawn. No future action would be taken against anyone involved in the protests, according to the party.
The government will consider CJP’s five-point examination reform charter, the party said. CJP representatives will meet government officials for further discussions about the proposed reforms.
In a statement on X, Pradhan said he submitted his resignation to prevent “anti-national forces” from exploiting the situation at Jantar Mantar and elsewhere in India. He said the issue was not about his “personal prestige.”
Pradhan said irregularities emerged in the May 3 NEET-UG examination and that the government referred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation, canceled the test and announced a new date. He said more than 20 lakh students completed the examination June 21 and that results announced July 16 were satisfactory.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told supporters, “We have done it.”
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose hunger strike gave the protests momentum, wrote, “IT’S A VICTORY OF DEMOCRACY,” describing the outcome as a victory for peace, patience and perseverance.
Wangchuk congratulated CJP, the nation’s Generation Z and citizens who joined the movement. He said the focus should now shift “FROM ACCOUNTABILITY, NOW TO REFORMS.”
IT’S A VICTORY OF DEMOCRACY — Sonam Wangchuk
Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said, “Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is a huge step towards reshaping our education system.”
Gandhi congratulated students who joined the protests and said two demands remained: Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologize to students, and authorities should take action against those responsible for violence against them.
He also urged farmers, laborers, poor people and others to stand constitutionally for their dignity. “The time has come to remove this government,” Gandhi said, adding, “Don’t be afraid!”
Opposition demands for Pradhan’s resignation disrupted the first week of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. The government expected both houses to resume functioning after his departure.
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