GUWAHATI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday, July 25, saying the decision was taken to safeguard the future of students and prevent "anti-national forces" from exploiting the ongoing youth protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
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Pradhan announced his resignation in a post on X just hours before the third round of talks between the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and the Centre.
His resignation comes after more than a month of protests at Jantar Mantar, where demonstrators had made his removal their primary demand following the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.
The negotiations between the CJP and the Centre had remained deadlocked over the issue. On Saturday morning, the CJP reiterated that no further discussions would take place unless the government removed Pradhan from office.
With his resignation, the Centre has now addressed all three key demands raised by the protesters:
> Resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan
> No legal action against the student protesters
> Compensation for the families of students who died by suicide following the alleged NEET paper leak
During the second round of talks on Friday, the Centre had agreed to the latter two demands but had not responded to the demand for Pradhan's resignation.
In his resignation post on X, Pradhan said, "I hold deep respect for the aspirations, sentiments, and rightful expectations of the youth of this country. Realising the dreams of India's young generation has been the moral resolve of our political and social life. I express my gratitude to Hon'ble Prime Minister for the opportunity given to me to serve the nation under his visionary leadership."
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) July 25, 2026