Pradhan said he had stepped down on grounds of accountability, describing the controversy as a matter affecting the future of millions of young people rather than his personal standing. His resignation followed sustained demands from students, opposition parties and civil society groups seeking ministerial responsibility for repeated irregularities in competitive examinations.
The announcement triggered celebrations at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where protesters had maintained a continuous presence despite police restrictions, arrests, extreme weather and disruption to mobile internet services. Demonstrators cheered, distributed sweets and raised slogans portraying the resignation as a victory for student mobilisation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to assign temporary charge of the Education Ministry to another Cabinet member before appointing Pradhan’s successor. The government had not immediately announced whether the resignation had been formally accepted by the President or whether further administrative changes would follow at the National Testing Agency.
The agitation gained momentum after allegations that examination papers for a major medical entrance test conducted in May had been leaked, affecting about two million candidates. Students complained that delayed investigations, inconsistent official statements and the absence of clear compensation measures deepened uncertainty for families that had invested heavily in coaching, travel and examination fees.
The campaign expanded beyond examination reform to include demands for an independent investigation, faster trials in paper-leak cases, protection for whistleblowers and stronger safeguards for computer-based tests. Protest organisers also called for compensation for candidates who lost academic opportunities because of cancelled or disputed examinations.
Pradhan had initially resisted calls to resign, arguing that criminal misconduct by individuals should not be treated as evidence of a nationwide institutional collapse. He later promised reforms, parliamentary debate and stronger legal action against organised examination fraud.
Those assurances failed to contain the demonstrations. Rallies spread across New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, drawing students, job seekers, teachers and parents. Several events were led by the Cockroach Janta Party, a youth movement that emerged from online satire before developing into a broader platform for education and employment grievances.
The movement’s name was adopted as an act of defiance after young people claimed they had been treated as disposable by institutions and political leaders. Its campaign combined street protests with social media videos, parody posters, music and decentralised fundraising, helping it reach students outside established political organisations.
Clashes between demonstrators and police sharpened public scrutiny of the government’s response. Officers used barricades, batons and tear gas during some gatherings, while opposition leaders accused the authorities of attempting to suppress peaceful dissent. Police maintained that force was used after protesters breached security restrictions and disrupted traffic.
Mobile data services were suspended in parts of central New Delhi during the agitation, affecting digital payments, transport bookings and communication between protesters. Civil liberties groups questioned the proportionality of the measure and warned that communications shutdowns could obstruct emergency services and independent documentation of police conduct.
Opposition parties disrupted parliamentary proceedings and demanded a debate on examination security, police action and youth unemployment. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined demonstrations and were briefly detained during confrontations with police.
The government accused opposition parties of seeking political advantage from student anger. Protest leaders, however, insisted that their campaign would remain organisationally independent and would continue until structural reforms were implemented.
Pradhan, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader, had headed the Education Ministry since July 2021 and retained the portfolio after the 2024 general election. His tenure included the implementation of the National Education Policy, expansion of higher-education institutions and efforts to restructure national entrance examinations.
His ministry faced a major test in 2024 after allegations of malpractice in NEET-UG and the cancellation of UGC-NET over concerns that its integrity had been compromised. Investigations established cheating and organised fraud in several locations, though the Supreme Court found insufficient evidence to conclude that the entire NEET-UG process had suffered a systemic breach.
A high-level panel led by former space scientist K Radhakrishnan later recommended changes to the National Testing Agency, including stronger digital security, permanent testing centres, tighter vendor supervision and improved grievance mechanisms. The government also decided that the agency should focus on higher-education entrance examinations rather than recruitment tests.
(IPA Service)
