NEW DELHI, July 25: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the widespread NEET paper leak controversy and subsequent student suicides marks only the second time a minister has stepped down under sustained public pressure during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure. The exit came after weeks of mounting protests, where the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led agitation made Pradhan’s stepping down its primary demand, prompting the Centre to accept his resignation following several rounds of negotiations and policy announcements.
While ministerial departures under public outcry remain exceptionally rare in the Modi administration, Pradhan’s exit joins a selective list of major policy climbdowns by the Central government since taking office in 2014.
The government’s first significant retreat took place in 2015, when it sought to amend the land acquisition law to streamline infrastructure and industrial projects. Facing heat from farmer unions, opposition parties, and key NDA allies who argued the changes weakened critical safeguards, the government ultimately allowed the proposal to lapse, leaving the existing legislation intact.
Three years later, the administration experienced its first ministerial resignation driven by public pressure. In October 2018, then Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar stepped down amid the #MeToo movement after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment during his career as a journalist and editor.
The largest policy reversal of the decade occurred in November 2021, when Prime Minister Modi announced the repeal of three controversial farm laws. The decision followed a yearlong agitation during which thousands of farmers encamped at Delhi’s borders, forcing the government to withdraw the reforms despite months of defending them.
More recent concessions include the withdrawal of a UPSC advertisement in August 2024 for lateral entry into senior civil service positions following objections over the omission of reservation provisions. A year later, in November 2025, the government shelved plans to introduce the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill after strong political resistance, particularly from parties in Punjab concerned about the dilution of state representation.
Pradhan’s stepping down represents the latest instance of the Centre conceding to sustained public demands, underscoring a rare moment of political concession in the government’s history. (PTI)
