Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns as Education Minister Amid NEET Protests

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25, submitting his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after nearly a month of sustained student protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET medical entrance examination. The demonstrations, centered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, were organized by a youth collective calling itself the Cockroach Janta Party and gathered nationwide attention after activist Sonam Wangchuk joined in with a 26-day hunger strike demanding accountability from the ministry.

Celebrities Voice Support for Protesting Students

News of the resignation quickly drew reactions from Bollywood and beyond. Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas responded to a social media post about the development with a string of celebratory emojis, signaling her support for the students’ movement. Singer Armaan Malik and actor Prakash Raj also weighed in publicly, praising the determination of young protesters and framing the resignation as proof of the impact youth-led movements can have on national policy.

Government Moves to Address Remaining Student Demands

Beyond the resignation itself, the government has reportedly moved to meet other demands raised by the protesting students, including compensation for families of students who died by suicide amid the exam controversy, and assurances against action toward those who took part in recent demonstrations. Talks between government representatives and student leaders continued in the days following the resignation, aimed at resolving the monthlong standoff.

Pradhan, in his resignation statement, cited his continued commitment to safeguarding students’ futures and pointed to the “youth power” behind the protests as reflecting the country’s real strength. His exit marks one of the more prominent instances in recent years of a senior Cabinet minister stepping down largely due to sustained public and student pressure.