Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned following a month-long, widespread student protest in Delhi demanding his resignation due to exam irregularities and NEET paper leaks. On Saturday, Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Only hours before the third session of negotiations between the Center and the Cockroach Janta Party, he made the announcement on his X handle.
For more than a month, demonstrators camped outside Delhi’s Jantar Mantar with the primary demand being Pradhan’s resignation.
The demand for Pradhan’s resignation caused the CJP and the Center to reach an impasse in their negotiations. The CJP had stated on Saturday morning that if the government does not fire Dharmendra Pradhan, there will be no talks.
The demonstrators’ main demands were:
Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation
Compensation for the families of students who committed suicide following the NEET paper leak, as well as no legal action against the student demonstrators.
“I hold deep respect for the aspirations, sentiments, and rightful expectations of the youth of this country,” Pradhan wrote in his X post announcing his resignation. The moral resolve of our political and social activity has been to realize the aspirations of India’s youth. I would like to thank the Honorable Prime Minister for providing me with the chance to serve the country under his inspiring guidance.”
“It is my resolve that we will not allow the youth power of the country to be trapped in a web of confusion,” Pradhan continued.
“I have submitted my resignation to Hon’ble Prime Minister, keeping in mind that anti-national forces should not take advantage of the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and throughout the country, that the nation’s unity remains intact, that the future of even one Indian student is not entangled in legal complications, and that our children devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers.”
When word spread of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, the Jantar Mantar protest site erupted in joy.
In response to the resignation announcement, the CJP wrote, “Long Live Student Power.”
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke declared, “We have done it,” as he announced Pradhan’s resignation from the Jantar Mantar platform.
“It used to be said that nobody leaves this government. However, we’ve succeeded.”
With the opposition supporting the movement and putting pressure on the administration, the student protests, which have recently spread to dozens of locations nationwide, have grown to be a significant political problem.
