Pralhad Joshi to take charge of Education Ministry after Dharmendra Pradhan's exit

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has been given additional charge of the Education Ministry after President Droupadi Murmu accepted Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation on the Prime Minister's advice.

In Short

• Pradhan's exit comes after weeks of nationwide protests over NEET issue
• Pralhad Joshi retains Consumer Affairs, Renewable Energy portfolios
• Cockroach Janta Party warns they will return to streets if promises are not kept

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday has been assigned the charge of the Ministry of Education after President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect.

According to an official release issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan, "The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution of India. Further, as advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Shri Pralhad Joshi, Cabinet Minister, be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Education, in addition to his existing portfolio."

Pradhan's resignation came amid widespread student-led protests across the country over the NEET paper leak. He said he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the interest of students and to ensure that the ongoing protests over examination irregularities were not exploited by "anti-national forces."

Joshi will continue to hold his existing portfolios while taking charge of the Education Ministry. He is the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Dharwad constituency in Karnataka and currently serves as the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the Minister of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

He is also the President of the International Solar Alliance. During his previous tenure, he served as the Union Minister for Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs.

The resignation follows weeks of nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, with students demanding greater transparency, accountability and reforms in the examination system. Pradhan's resignation also marks a rare instance of a senior minister in the Narendra Modi government stepping down amid sustained street protests and political pressure.

Pradhan announced his resignation hours before the third round of talks between the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Ahead of the meeting, CJP leaders had maintained that Pradhan's resignation was "non-negotiable" and made it the central demand of the protest movement.

Following the third round of talks with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh at the Constitution Club in New Delhi, the CJP announced that it had withdrawn its 37-day-long agitation at Jantar Mantar in "good faith" after Pradhan stepped down from the Union Council of Ministers and the outfit received assurances from the government on its other demands.

Addressing a press conference at the Constitution Club, CJP Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das said, "Cockroach Janta Party declares that we withdraw the agitation in good faith, with the understanding that the agreed-upon terms will be executed within the agreed-upon timelines."

Das also issued a message to the new Education Minister, saying, "The youth have warned whoever becomes the Union Education Minister that if their issues are not addressed, they will come back to Jantar Mantar and demand accountability from the government."

- Ends