‘Students Must Not Suffer’, Says Dharmendra Pradhan On His Resignation

Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned as Union Education Minister on Saturday, said the developments of the past 10 days had left him deeply saddened. He submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Pradhan said stepping down was necessary to protect students’ interests and prevent anti-national elements from taking advantage of the ongoing controversy.

In his resignation letter, Pradhan said he had spent more than four decades working for students, teachers and educational reforms. He described a strong, inclusive and progressive education system as the cornerstone of national development and thanked Prime Minister Modi for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the Education Ministry.

Pradhan said the government responded immediately after reports of irregularities in the NEET-UG examination surfaced.

The Centre transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), cancelled the examination, scheduled a fresh test and announced that NEET would shift entirely to Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode from next year.

Pradhan said the Centre, state governments, district administrations, students and parents jointly ensured the successful conduct of the re-examination on 21 June 2026.

According to Pradhan, the government’s foremost objective throughout the process was to guarantee a fair examination for more than 20 lakh candidates.

Responsibility and Way Forward

Pradhan said he accepted responsibility for the situation from the outset and remained determined to ensure that deserving students did not suffer because of the alleged examination mafia. He also claimed that some individuals in positions of responsibility attempted to mislead students after the declaration of the re-examination results, which caused him considerable distress.

Emphasising that the issue was far bigger than his personal reputation, Pradhan said he chose to resign to safeguard national unity, prevent students from becoming entangled in legal disputes and allow them to focus on their studies and careers. He concluded by expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and the officials of the Ministry of Education, while pledging to continue serving the nation, the people of Odisha and India’s youth.

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