No plans for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, focus on fixing NTA: Govt sources

Government sources on Friday firmly ruled out the possibility of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigning over the NEET-UG examination paper leak controversy. Officials asserted that stepping down would amount to running away from responsibility and confirmed that the government intends to fulfill its public mandate rather than take symbolic actions. The stance comes despite continuous demonstrations by student groups and mounting pressure from opposition leaders in Parliament.

The announcement poses a major standoff for the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), an organization spearheading month-long protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. During three rounds of formal talks with Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh, CJP representatives reiterated that Pradhan's resignation remains a non-negotiable demand. The protest group is also seeking financial compensation for families of affected students, withdrawal of police FIRs, and a public apology for recent police actions against demonstrators.

Instead of political resignations, the Centre is focusing on comprehensive structural overhauls within the National Testing Agency (NTA) and a sustained crackdown on paper leak networks. Officials highlighted that multiple illicit exam networks have been dismantled, while the Cabinet recently approved draft legislation introducing stricter penalties for examination fraud. As the government prepares to table the anti-paper leak bill in Parliament, CJP leadership warned that demonstrations will continue and expand nationwide until their core demands are addressed.