‘Resigned to stop anti-national forces': Dharmendra Pradhan's reason for resignation as education minister

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned from his post, citing a desire to prevent "anti-national forces" from exploiting the ongoing agitation over examination paper leaks, particularly concerning the NEET-UG medical entrance exam. In a social media post, Pradhan stated his decision was not driven by personal prestige but by a need to safeguard students' interests and maintain national unity amidst the controversy.

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So that anti-national forces do not take advantage of the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country, so that the unity of the country remains intact, so that the future of not a single student of India gets entangled in legal complexities, and so that our children invest their time in studying and focus on building their careers, considering all these aspects, I have submitted my resignation to the Honourable Prime Minister.

Pradhan expressed deep respect for the aspirations of India's youth, emphasizing that fulfilling their dreams is a moral commitment. He noted that individuals in responsible positions had attempted to mislead students during the protests, causing him significant anguish, though he did not name specific individuals. The minister asserted that the students' expectations were legitimate and that the government's response to the irregularities was swift and decisive.

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It is not a matter of individual prestige for me.

He outlined the government's actions, including handing the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), canceling the exam, and announcing a date for a re-examination. Pradhan also confirmed that from the next year, the NEET examination would be conducted in a Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode. He thanked the Prime Minister for the opportunity to serve under his leadership, framing the government's approach as a "whole of government" effort to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination for over two million students.

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However, even during this period, individuals holding responsible positions tried to create obstacles in order to mislead many students, which caused me deep anguish.