indiaSource: Dharmendra PradhanPublished
Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns as Education Minister After NEET-UG Turmoil
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned, saying in two letters posted on X that he has sent his resignation to the Prime Minister following the fallout from irregularities in the May 2026 NEET-UG exam and the protests that followed at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Pradhan said he took responsibility for the exam crisis from the first day and did not want the unrest exploited or any student's future caught up in legal complications.
At a glance
- The NEET-UG exam held on 3 May 2026 was cancelled after irregularities came to light; the case was handed to the CBI and a re-exam was ordered, with testing moving to computer-based mode from next year.
- Exams for more than 20 lakh students were rescheduled through what Pradhan called a whole-of-government effort with state administrations, and completed on 21 June 2026.
- Results declared on 16 July 2026 were satisfactory, with many students from poorer backgrounds succeeding, according to Pradhan.
- Pradhan said people in positions of responsibility tried to mislead students during the process, and that he did not want any student's future entangled in legal complications because of the Jantar Mantar protests.
- He thanked the Prime Minister, cabinet colleagues, and ministry staff, and said serving the nation would remain his highest priority.