Dharmendra Pradhan offered to resign twice but was rejected: Sources

Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on Saturday following widespread student protests over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. Official sources revealed that Pradhan had offered to step down twice earlier during the unrest, including at a high-level ministerial meeting on July 20, but the government initially rejected his offers to focus on institutional fixes and education reforms rather than walking away from responsibility.

However, the government's stance shifted after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) threatened another large-scale march following the July 20 'Chalo Sansad' demonstration, which had resulted in student injuries. Security agencies also submitted reports warning that the agitation was being exploited by malicious elements, with digital monitoring identifying over 400 social media accounts—including around 100 operated from Pakistan—actively amplifying the protests to spread anti-India narratives.

Additionally, facial recognition systems used by the Delhi Police detected around 400 individuals with criminal backgrounds around the Jantar Mantar protest site, some linked to earlier vandalism. Weighing public order and national interest, the government decided to defuse mounting tensions by accepting Pradhan's resignation. Subsequently, Cabinet Minister Pralhad Joshi was assigned additional charge of the Education Ministry.