Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday announced his resignation from the Union Cabinet, stating that his decision was guided by the need to protect students’ interests, preserve national unity and prevent the ongoing situation from escalating further amid the NEET-UG controversy. The resignation was conveyed through a detailed public letter addressed to the country’s youth.
In his letter, Pradhan reflected on his four decades of work in education and acknowledged the irregularities reported in the NEET-UG 2026 examination. He noted that the Centre responded by transferring the investigation to the CBI, cancelling the examination, announcing a re-test, and deciding to conduct future NEET-UG exams in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode. He also said the re-examination for over 20 lakh students was completed through a “whole of government approach.”
Quoting from his resignation letter, Pradhan wrote:
“जंतर-मंतर पर और देश में जो स्थिति बनी है, इस स्थिति का राष्ट्र विरोधी ताकतें लाभ ना उठाएं, देश की एकता बनी रहे, भारत के एक भी विद्यार्थी का भविष्य कानूनी पेचीदगियों में ना उलझे, हमारे बच्चे अपना समय पढ़ाई में लगाएं, करियर बनाने पर फोकस करें, इसी बात पर विचार करते हुए मैंने अपना त्यागपत्र माननीय प्रधानमंत्री जी को भेज दिया है।”
English Translation:
“Considering the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country, and to ensure that anti-national forces do not take advantage of it, that national unity remains intact, that not a single student’s future gets entangled in legal complications, and that our children devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers, I have submitted my resignation to the Hon’ble Prime Minister.”
Pradhan also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Council of Ministers, ministry officials and citizens for their trust and support, while reaffirming his commitment to continue serving the nation.
