Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday tendered his resignation amid mounting political and public pressure over the alleged National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak controversy and calls for institutional accountability.
The resignation followed weeks of protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which had made Pradhan's resignation one of its central demands, alleging that the Centre failed to adequately address concerns over alleged irregularities in NEET and broader issues affecting students.
Pradhan says resignation meant to protect students, democracy
In a resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shared on X, Pradhan said the developments of the past 10 days had "saddened" him, stressing that the issue was "not about my personal reputation" but about safeguarding the interests of the country's youth.
"I have always had unwavering faith in the strength of our democracy and have deeply respected the aspirations, dreams and expectations of the youth. They are not only the future of India but also the builders of a new and developed India," he wrote.
