As the student protests over paper leaks spread across different States and snowballed into a major political crisis for the Narendra Modi government, Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as the Education Minister on Saturday (July 25, 2026), prompting the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to call off the protests at Jantar Mantar, which had become the epicentre of the agitation for the past 36 days.
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President Droupadi Murmu accepted Mr. Pradhan’s resignation on the Prime Minister’s advice and appointed Pralhad Joshi as the new Education Minister, a communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in the evening.
In his resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, posted on X, Mr. Pradhan said he was resigning on his own account, so that “anti-national” elements do not exploit the situation created by the protests.
As soon as the news of the resignation broke in the afternoon, protesters at Jantar Mantar erupted in joy. “We have done it,” CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told the jubilant crowd.
The resignation came moments before Union Ministers J. P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh met CJP spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das for talks to end the protests.
Govt. assurance
At a joint press conference with the Ministers, the CJP spokespersons said they are calling it off in “good faith” as the government had agreed to their two demands: ₹1 crore to the families of all students who died by suicide because of NEET paper leaks and no action against any of the student protesters.
Mr. Nadda said the government will give “honourable compensation” within rules to the families of the students who died by suicide after the NEET test was cancelled and ensure withdrawal of all FIRs registered against the protesters.
“As far as their [CJP] charter for broader education reforms is concerned, we will deliberate upon and engage with them,” Mr. Nadda said at a press conference.
PM should apologise: Congress
Congratulating the students on their victory, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said removal of Mr. Pradhan is a “symbolic” but huge step in rebuilding the education system.
The Opposition leader, however, said there are still two more demands: anyone who beat up the students should be held accountable and that the Prime Minister should apologise to the students.
“It is also a signal to other parts of society, farmers, labourers, poor people, anybody whom this regime is attacking and oppressing, there is wisdom and courage in standing up. Daro mat (don’t fear). Let’s get rid of this regime,” Mr. Gandhi said.
In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to youth. There should be strict action against those who unleashed lathis and pellet guns.”
With the first week of the Monsoon Session of Parliament washed out over the Opposition’s insistence on Mr. Pradhan’s resignation, the government is now expecting both Houses to function.
Three police personnel injured
Amid the jubilation at Jantar Mantar, there were also tense moments, as three senior police officials were injured in stone-throwing close to the protest site, at the intersection of Tolstoy Marg and Sansad Marg. However, the police personnel quickly restored order by using tear gas and resorting to a mild lathi-charge.
Sources said the government had come around to the view on Friday evening that it would be necessary for Mr. Pradhan to resign in order to end the protests, which appeared to be spreading across the country.
With Delhi University set to open soon and protests spreading to tier-II cities, discretion was considered the better part of valour, the sources added.
Mr. Pradhan received much support from his Cabinet colleagues, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh posting on X that the former had contributed to public service and the creation of an inclusive, future-ready India.
Mr. Pradhan is the second Union Minister in Mr. Modi’s tenure to resign following a public controversy. The first was M. J. Akbar, who stepped down as the Minister of State for External Affairs in 2018 after sexual harassment allegations surfaced against him during the #MeToo movement.
Published – July 25, 2026 02:32 pm IST
