Pradhan quits; Pralhad joshi takes over as Union Education Minister
NEW DELHI, July 25: Yielding to a 36-day student uprising that echoed from the streets of Delhi to the quiet anxieties of NEET aspirants in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday, marking a rare capitulation by the Centre over the integrity of national competitive exams.
Pradhan announced his resignation in a statement, saying the developments of the past 10 days had “saddened” him deeply and that the issue was “not a matter of personal prestige.” He stated he wished to ensure the “unity of the nation remains intact” and that students could focus on their careers without legal complications. “Keeping all these considerations in mind, I have sent my resignation to the Hon’ble Prime Minister,” he said.
Shortly after the announcement, the CJP declared it was withdrawing its protest. The government has agreed to all remaining demands, including compensation for the families of students who died by suicide following the paper leak and the withdrawal of FIRs against protesters.
The breakthrough followed a third round of talks at the Constitution Club of India between Union ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh and CJP representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. Nadda confirmed the government would provide “honourable compensation” and ensure the dismissal of all police cases against the agitators. “As the government accepted all our demands, we call off our protests with immediate effect,” Das said during a joint press conference.
Celebrations broke out at Jantar Mantar as news of the resignation spread. Authorities began overseeing the dispersal of the crowd, while the Delhi Metro reopened gates at nearby stations to facilitate the movement of protesters.
Wangchuk, who joined the movement with an indefinite fast on June 28, and ended his fast on Thursday, called the resignation a “victory of democracy straight from the streets.”
Pralhad Joshi takes Education portfolio
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi was given additional charge of the Ministry of Education on Saturday, hours after Pradhan’s resignation.
Joshi, who currently serves as the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, said he accepted the responsibility with a “sense of duty and humility.” “Under the guidance of the Prime Minister, I will try to perform to the best of my capacity,” Joshi told reporters, adding that he would continue the work of his predecessor in executing the National Education Policy (NEP). (Agencies)
