New Delhi, July 25 (EFE).- Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday, conceding the main demand of the youth-led weeks of nationwide protests over alleged examination leaks and irregularities that have shaken the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The resignation came just hours before the deadline set by the movement for the government to meet its demands.
“I have submitted my resignation to the Hon’ble Prime Minister,” the minister wrote in a letter addressed to the protesting youth that he posted on his X account.
He said he was stepping down because he did not want that anti-national forces “take advantage of” the situation following the widespread protests in New Delhi and other cities of the country.
The youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement holds Pradhan politically responsible for the alleged leaks and irregularities in examinations such as NEET-UG, India’s national medical entrance examination and one of the country’s most competitive tests.
These examinations are of enormous importance in India, where millions of students compete each year for university admissions and public-sector jobs, widely regarded by many families as a key path to social mobility.
The resignation was announced shortly before youth-led the CJP leaders were due to begin a new round of talks with the government, while protesters gathered to resume demonstrations.
Following Friday’s meeting, CJP representatives said they had reached agreement on two of their three main demands: compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and the withdrawal of criminal charges against students who took part in the protests.
Pradhan’s resignation, however, had remained the principal unresolved issue until Saturday.
Prime Minister Modi’s government had sought to defuse the crisis by promising special courts, a tougher law to combat examination paper leaks, and reforms to the country’s examination system.
Local media also reported the dismissal of 47 officials and employees linked to the National Testing Agency, as well as plans to digitize the NEET-UG examination from 2027. EFE
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