Probes, protests & pressure: What led to Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following widespread protests and allegations of a paper leak in the NEET-UG 2026 examination. The government has responded by cancelling the test, ordering a CBI probe, and planning a shift to computer-based testing.
Why it matters
The NEET-UG exam is critical for medical school admissions in India; the scandal has caused massive disruption and raised questions about the reliability of national testing agencies.
NEW DELHI: Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday as Union education minister, taking moral responsibility for the NEET-UG paper leak controversy that has shaken the country's examination system, sparked mass student protests and triggered political confrontations.In his resignation letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pradhan said he had dedicated more than four decades to students, teachers and education reform. He said the government had acted immediately after irregularities surfaced in the NEET-UG examination held on May 3, including cancelling the test, ordering a CBI probe and deciding to hold a fresh examination. He also said the test would be conducted in computer-based mode from next year.Pradhan said that he had tried from the first day to ensure that no meritorious student suffered because of what he described as an examination mafia.
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