BREAKING| NEET-UG 2026 Row: President Accepts Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation

The President of India has accepted the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan who earlier today announced his resignation, taking moral responsibility for the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 examination.

"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," a press communique issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan reads.

In a two-page letter addressed to the country's youth, Pradhan said he had never shied away from accountability and decided to step down to ensure that students' futures were not caught in prolonged legal disputes. "I took responsibility from the very first day and never shied away from the situation," Pradhan wrote.

Recalling his four-decade association with education as a student, teacher and education reformer, Pradhan said he had always believed that a strong, inclusive and transparent education system formed the foundation of a strong nation.

Referring to the alleged irregularities in the May 3, 2026 NEET-UG examination, he said the Centre acted immediately by entrusting the investigation to the CBI, cancelling the examination and announcing a fresh test. He also highlighted the government's decision to conduct NEET-UG in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode from next year.

According to the letter, the government's priority was to ensure that the re-examination for over 20 lakh candidates was conducted smoothly through a "whole-of-government approach" with the support of state governments, district administrations, students and parents. The re-examination was held on June 21, 2026, while the results were declared on July 16, 2026.

Pradhan said his resolve throughout the controversy was to protect deserving students from the fallout of the alleged paper leak. "It was my resolve that no meritorious student's future would be ruined because of the examination mafia, and no student would be subjected to injustice," he wrote, asserting that no meritorious student's future should be ruined because of the examination mafia and that no student should suffer injustice.

However, he expressed anguish over what he described as attempts by people holding responsible positions to mislead students even after corrective steps had been taken.

The outgoing minister also referred to the developments over the past ten days, saying they had deeply saddened him. "The developments of the past ten days have deeply saddened me. This is not a matter of my personal prestige," he wrote, adding that the issue was never about his personal reputation.

Explaining the reason behind his resignation, Pradhan said he did not want the prevailing situation, including protests at Jantar Mantar, to be exploited or for students' futures to become entangled in prolonged litigation. "It is my resolve that the youth of this country should not fall into a vicious cycle of confusion," he wrote, before adding, "Considering the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country, and so that not even a single student's future gets entangled in legal complexities, I have sent my resignation to the Hon'ble Prime Minister."

The minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the opportunity to serve under his leadership and expressed gratitude to his Cabinet colleagues, ministry officials and staff for their support during his tenure. Concluding the letter, Pradhan reiterated his commitment to public life and national service, writing: "Service to the nation is the highest priority of my life. I shall remain dedicated to it always."

Interestingly, the Union Cabinet on Friday had approved a new bill proposing significantly stricter punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks, according to government sources. The proposed legislation is expected to be tabled in Parliament next week, marking the government's latest attempt to tighten the legal framework around examination fraud.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Parliament House complex. According to sources, the draft bill seeks to hand out harsher penalties to those found guilty of leaking question papers than what current law allows.

Under the proposed new amendments, offenders could face imprisonment of up to ten years along with a fine of up to Rs 10 crore. The minimum jail term for such offences has also been proposed to be raised from three years to five years. The changes are aimed at strengthening the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which currently prescribes three to ten years of imprisonment depending on the offence, and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore for organised examination fraud.