GUWAHATI: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has been appointed as the new Education Minister after President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, who stepped down amid protests over alleged examination paper leaks.
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The President's office confirmed Joshi's appointment through an official communiqué on Saturday evening, July 25.
Joshi has been given additional charge of the Ministry of Education and will continue to oversee his existing portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy.
Speaking after the announcement, Joshi said he accepted the responsibility with a sense of duty and humility and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the opportunity.
Earlier, Pradhan resigned amid protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the alleged examination paper leaks. In his resignation letter, he said he had decided to step down to prevent anti-national forces from exploiting the situation.
He added that he had devoted more than four decades to the cause of students, teachers and educational reform and believed that a robust, inclusive and visionary education system was the cornerstone of a strong nation.