New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu, citing moral responsibility for irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination. He shared his resignation over tweet, in which he mentioned, the past ten days have pained him; and India’s youth “will not be trapped in any illusion.”
The resignation follows over two weeks of protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, which had called his exit “non-negotiable.” It comes a day after government sources had ruled out his departure, calling it “running away from responsibility” and pointing instead to NTA reforms already underway.
From Dharmendra Pradhan’s letter:
He has spent over four decades working on education and reform, and believes a strong, inclusive education system is the foundation of a strong nation.
The past ten days have pained him; he says India’s youth “will not be trapped in any illusion.”
Citing the situation at Jantar Mantar and nationwide, he sent his resignation to President Murmu “after deep thought.”
He thanked PM Modi, Cabinet colleagues and ministry officials, and reaffirmed his commitment to Odisha and to India’s youth.
Background: The NTA cancelled the NEET-UG exam held on May 3, after which a CBI probe was ordered and a re-test conducted on June 21 in CBT mode. Pradhan had acknowledged the breach at a May 15 media briefing.
Last 24 hours:
CJP held further talks with Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh. The government agreed in principle to ₹1 crore compensation for families of students who died by suicide, and to withdrawal of FIRs against protesters booked over the July 20 “Sansad Chalo” march.
Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike after government assurances.
Protests continued in Delhi and other cities.
