Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has handed over his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The announcement comes amid escalating protests across the country calling for the minister to step down. He said that he made the decision to resign to ensure that "anti-national" forces do not exploit the decision and to ensure that the "national unity" remains intact.
Pradhan said he is disturbed to see the series of events that have unfolded in the last 10 days and sent his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"I took responsibility of NEET paper leak from day one," he said.
He also said that anti national forces should not be allowed to take advantage of situation at Jantar Mantar and across country.
Pradhan's resignations comes amid Cockroach Janta Party-led protests at the Jantar Mantar, demanding his accountability over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and irregularities in the CBSE's on-screen marking process, besides seeking wider reforms in the conduct of public examinations.
Given below is the full transcript of the letter Dharmendra Pradhan wrote, addressing the youth of the nation on Saturday afternoon:
My young friends,
I have been associated with the fields of education, teaching and education reform for more than four decades. I have always believed that a strong, inclusive and visionary education system is the foundation of a strong nation.
I deeply respect the aspirations, emotions and legitimate expectations of the country's youth. Fulfilling the dreams of India's young generation has been the moral commitment of our political and social life. I express my gratitude to the Hon'ble Prime Minister for giving me the opportunity to serve the nation under his visionary leadership.
However, irregularities were found in the NEET-UG examination held on May 3, 2026. The Government of India immediately took cognisance of the matter, handed the investigation over to the CBI, cancelled the examination and announced a fresh examination date. At the same time, it was decided that from the following year, the examination would be conducted in CBT (Computer-Based Test) mode.
During this period, our primary concern was to ensure that the examination for more than 2 million students was conducted smoothly. For this, work was carried out under a whole-of-government approach. The state governments, particularly the district administration, played an important role alongside the Government of India. With the cooperation of the students, their guardians, and their parents, the examination was successfully completed on June 21, 2026.
From the very first day, I took responsibility and never turned my back on the situation. My resolve was that we would not allow the prospects of any meritorious student to be harmed because of the examination controversy, nor would we allow injustice to be done to any student.
The NEET-UG results announced on July 16 were satisfactory, with many meritorious students from disadvantaged backgrounds also achieving success.
However, during this period, attempts were made by people holding positions of responsibility to create obstacles with the intention of misleading several students, which deeply saddened me.
I have always had unwavering faith in the power of our democracy and have deeply respected the aspirations, dreams and expectations of the youth. They are not only the future of India but also the carriers, builders and architects of a new and developed India.
I am saddened by the events of the past 10 days. This is not a matter of personal prestige for me.
India's youth power is the country's real strength.
It is my resolve that we will not allow the country's youth to become trapped in the maze of confusion.
In view of the situation that has developed over the past few days, my resignation has been sent to the Hon'ble Prime Minister, with the thought that anti-national forces should not take advantage of this situation, the country's unity should remain intact, no student in India should get entangled in legal complications, and our children should devote their time to their studies and focus on building their careers.
I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon'ble Prime Minister for his guidance, trust and continuous support. I also express my gratitude to all my respected colleagues in the Council of Ministers, officials and employees of the Ministry, and everyone with whom I had the privilege of working. National service is the highest priority of my life, and I will always remain dedicated to it.
With the blessings of Shri Jagannath Ji, I will continue in the future as well to dedicate myself in every possible way to fulfilling the aspirations of Bharat Mata, the people of Odisha and the youth of the country.
Yours,
Dharmendra Pradhan
