Mumbai: In a significant reshuffle within the Union government, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has been entrusted with the additional responsibility of the Ministry of Education following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. President Droupadi Murmu accepted Pradhan’s resignation from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect.
An official statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan confirmed that the President acted on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in accepting the resignation under Article 75(2) of the Constitution. The statement further announced that Pralhad Joshi would oversee the Education Ministry while continuing to manage his existing portfolios.
Pradhan’s departure comes amid weeks of nationwide protests triggered by the alleged NEET examination paper leak and other concerns surrounding competitive examinations. In his resignation, Pradhan said he had stepped down in the larger interest of students and to ensure that the ongoing agitation was not misused by what he described as “anti-national forces.”
Joshi, a Member of Parliament from Karnataka’s Dharwad constituency, currently serves as the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, besides heading the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. He also serves as President of the International Solar Alliance and has previously held key portfolios, including Coal, Mines, and Parliamentary Affairs.
The leadership change comes as the government faces mounting pressure over demands for greater transparency, accountability, and reforms in India’s examination system. Student groups across several states have staged demonstrations, alleging serious irregularities in the conduct of competitive examinations.
Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is being viewed as one of the rare instances in which a senior minister in the Narendra Modi government has stepped down amid sustained public protests and political pressure.
The resignation also paved the way for a breakthrough in talks between the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which had been leading a 37-day protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The outfit had made Pradhan’s resignation a key condition during negotiations with the government.
Following the third round of discussions with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh at the Constitution Club in New Delhi, the CJP announced that it was suspending its agitation after receiving assurances from the Centre on its key demands.
Addressing the media, CJP Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das said the organization was withdrawing the protest in “good faith,” expecting the government to implement the agreed commitments within the promised timeline.
However, the organization also cautioned the newly appointed Education Minister, stating that students would return to the streets if their concerns regarding examination reforms and accountability remain unresolved.
With Pralhad Joshi now at the helm of the Education Ministry, attention will be on the Centre’s next steps to restore confidence in the country’s examination system and address the concerns raised by students across the nation.
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