Dharmendra Pradhan Likely to Stay, Resignation Not Being Considered: Sources

Dharmendra Pradhan Resignation ‘Not on the Cards’, Government Backs Minister Amid CJP Protest

The Narendra Modi-led NDA government has ruled out the possibility of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigning over the NEET paper leak controversy, despite mounting pressure from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

Top government sources that the Centre “stands firmly with the Minister” and believes that “resignation is the easiest decision to take, but not the right one.” According to the sources, the government remains focused on fixing systemic issues in the National Testing Agency (NTA) rather than making leadership changes.

“People have given us the mandate, and we will deliver,” a senior government source said. The source added that the government is preparing a roadmap to address flaws in the NTA, has already cracked down on several paper leak networks, and more action is expected in the coming days.

CJP Sticks to Resignation Demand

The CJP, which has been leading protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, has made Pradhan’s resignation its primary demand, blaming the Education Ministry for the NEET paper leak. The agitation intensified earlier this week after police used tear gas and lathi charges to stop protesters marching towards Parliament. Opposition parties have also backed the demand for the minister’s resignation.

Centre-CJP Talks Continue

The Centre and CJP held a second round of talks on Friday, during which the government sought time until Saturday afternoon to respond to the resignation demand. The government delegation included Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh, while CJP was represented by national spokesperson Saurav Das and leader Ashutosh Ranka.

According to the CJP, the Centre has given in-principle approval to two demands:

Compensation for families of NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide. Withdrawal of FIRs and legal cases against peaceful student protesters. However, the organisation maintained that it would continue its protest unless Dharmendra Pradhan steps down.

Government Focuses on Reforms

As part of its response to the controversy, the Centre has initiated administrative changes within the Education Ministry, including reshuffling senior officials in the higher and school education departments. Meanwhile, Pradhan has continued with his official engagements and social media outreach. He recently participated in a conference of state education ministers and reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening the education system.

The NEET examination, one of India’s largest entrance tests with over two million candidates, was cancelled in May after allegations of a question paper leak. A re-examination was conducted on June 21, and the government says further reforms are underway to prevent similar incidents in the future.