Dharmendra Pradhan's exit: A rare resignation in the Modi government

Before Dharmendra Pradhan, only one other sitting Union minister had resigned amid public pressure since the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014 – journalist-turned-politician MJ Akbar.

In Short

• He says the move is meant to safeguard students' future
• Pradhan warns anti-national forces could exploit the youth agitation further
• The announcement comes hours before the third round of Centre-CJP talks

Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation on Saturday as the Union Minister for Education is significant as it marks only the second instance in the PM Modi-led NDA government when a sitting minister has quit his post in face of public outcry and demand.

Pradhan announced his resignation in a lengthy social media post on Saturday, a development that came against the backdrop of nationwide protests demanding that he quit and take responsibility for irregularities in India's higher education system. In his post, Pradhan said the decision was driven by the need to protect the future of students and prevent “anti-national forces” from exploiting the massive youth protests that have been taking place at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for the past several days.

"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," he wrote in a letter posted on X.

His resignation triggered jubilation at Jantar Mantar, where activist Sonam Wangchuk began an indefinite fast earlier this month and which had led a nationwide demand for Pradhan's resignation.

Saturday's developments immediately bring back memories from 2018 when another minister in the Modi government had resigned amid public pressure: journalist-turned-politician MJ Akbar.

Akbar, then Minister of State for External Affairs, tendered his resignation in October 2018, 10 days after senior journalist Priya Ramani publicly accused him of sexual harassment and predatory behaviour. At least 12 women journalists subsequently came forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Akbar, who dismissed the accusations as baseless.

Akbar, in his resignation, had said, "Since I have decided to seek justice in a court of law in my personal capacity, I deem it appropriate to step down from office and challenge false allegations levied against me, also in a personal capacity."

Akbar, then 67, was among the most high-profile personalities named during a wave of sexual misconduct allegations that swept through India’s media and entertainment industries, in what was widely described as the country’s #MeToo moment.

Pradhan, a BJP strongman from Odisha, is therefore only the second sitting Union minister in the Modi era to resign following sustained public pressure.

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