Union Education Minister Pradhan Steps Down After 36-Day Student Protest

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday, July 25, 2026, following a 36-day student agitation over irregularities in examinations and the NEET paper leak. The party leading the student protests subsequently called off the agitation.

BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya told reporters in Indore that Mr. Pradhan had offered to resign on the very first day of the agitation. According to Mr. Vijayvargiya, Mr. Pradhan conveyed his willingness to step down to the BJP president, who advised him to wait until a party decision was made. When circumstances changed and the party decided on his resignation, Mr. Pradhan complied immediately.

Mr. Vijayvargiya praised Mr. Pradhan's honesty and dedication, and said his resignation thwarted attempts by unspecified foreign forces to destabilise India. He also criticised the Congress party for celebrating the resignation, using a Hindi proverb to accuse them of rejoicing in a neighbour's misfortune. Mr. Vijayvargiya questioned the Congress's role in the agitation, stating they merely followed the lead of the student protesters.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had earlier alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had acted like 'termites' and hollowed the country's education system. Responding to this, Mr. Vijayvargiya expressed disappointment with Mr. Gandhi's political ideology and understanding of the RSS.

The student agitation began in response to reported irregularities in competitive exams and a leak of the NEET question paper. The protests gained widespread support, drawing lakhs of participants. The resignation of Mr. Pradhan was a key demand of the protesters, and its fulfilment led to the end of the 36-day movement.

The government has not officially commented on the allegations of foreign interference. The opposition parties continue to demand a thorough investigation into the exam irregularities and paper leak.