Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid youth protests and Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike over the NEET-UG paper leak, but framed his exit as a move to protect national unity. In a public letter, he claimed he stepped down to prevent “anti-national forces” from hijacking the Jantar Mantar agitation and to free students from legal uncertainty so they can focus on studies and careers.
AFTER WEEKS of youth agitation and activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, on Saturday, July 25, 2026,the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and students finally had a moment of celebration after they got the update that the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had resigned from cabinet. While Abhijeet Dipke and co celebrated this major development, what Pradhan actually wrote in his letter was a diplomatic defeat at best. As the Education Minister defended his and governments actions during NEET paper leak, he maintained that his resignation has come to prevent “anti-national forces” taking over youth’s movement at Jantar Mantar.
The letter addressed to the public, originally written in Hindi, was shared by Pradhan through his official social media accounts, where he repeatedly defends both the government's handling of the NEET-UG crisis and Pradhan's own role in dealing with it. Instead of accepting that the protests forced his exit, the union minister presented his resignation as a step taken in the larger interest of students and the country.
Perhaps the most striking part of the entire resignation letter comes towards the end while he explained why he decided to step down. Pradhan wrote, “Considering the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country—with the aim of preventing anti-national forces from exploiting it, preserving national unity, ensuring that not a single Indian student's future gets entangled in legal complexities, and allowing our children to devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers—I have submitted my resignation to the Honorable Prime Minister.”
The statement makes it clear that Pradhan is not saying he resigned because the protesters' demands were right or because the government has conceded defeat in the political frontier. Instead, he claimed that continuing the stand-off could have allowed “anti-national forces” to exploit the situation, something he said he wanted to prevent.
Another theme that runs throughout the resignation letter is Pradhan's repeated references to India's youth. He described young people as the builders of a developed India and said fulfilling their aspirations had always remained his moral commitment.
See Also: NTA Under Fire: 47 Officials Removed Amid Escalating Paper Leak Controversy, CJP Protest
"I am pained by the events of the past ten days. This is not a matter of personal prestige for me. India's youth power is the true strength of this nation. It is my resolve not to let the country's youth get trapped in a web of confusion," he wrote.
The former Education Minister also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving him the opportunity to serve in the government and expressed gratitude towards his ministerial colleagues, ministry officials and staff members.
The letter also takes measures to defend how the Centre handled the NEET-UG paper leak through urgent measures and Re-test schedule. Pradhan said the government acted immediately after the matter came to light by handing over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), cancelling the examination and announcing a fresh test. He also pointed out that starting next year, NEET-UG will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.
According to him, the government's biggest concern during the entire controversy was to ensure that more than 20 lakh students could appear for the examination without any further disruption. He wrote that the Centre adopted a "whole-of-government" approach and worked closely with state governments and district administrations to successfully conduct the re-examination on June 21.
Pradhan also insisted that he never tried to distance himself from the controversy. "From day one, I took full responsibility and never turned away from the situation. I was resolved that no meritorious student's potential would be ruined by the 'exam mafia,' and that no student would face injustice," he wrote.
The minister further claimed that the results declared on July 16 were satisfactory and many students from poor and underprivileged backgrounds had performed well. However, he also alleged that even after the examination was completed, some "individuals in responsible positions" continued to mislead students and create obstacles, something which, he said, caused him deep pain.
Ending the letter on an emotional note, Pradhan said serving the nation would always remain the highest priority of his life. Invoking Lord Jagannath, he said he would continue working for the aspirations of Mother India, the people of Odisha and the youth of the country in the years to come. He also said his resignation was aimed at ensuring that students don't remain stuck in uncertainty or legal complications and can instead return to their studies.
Suggested Reading:
Subscribe to our channels on YouTube and WhatsApp
Download our app on Play Store