Dharmendra Pradhan has submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister. Yesterday afternoon, Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Piyush Goyal attended this meeting. After a long discussion among these three, the Prime Minister was briefed about the matters discussed in the meeting. Following this, the chapter of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was written. Meanwhile, before resigning, Dharmendra Pradhan released a letter on social media addressing the youth, the content of which is as follows:
My young friends,
have been dedicated to students, teachers, and educational reforms for more than 4 decades. It has always been my belief that a strong, inclusive, and visionary education system is the cornerstone of a strong nation. I deeply respect the aspirations, sentiments, and justified expectations of the youth of the country. Fulfilling the dreams of India’s young generation has been the moral resolution of our political and social lives. I express my gratitude to the Prime Minister for the opportunity I received to serve the nation under his visionary leadership.
However, irregularities were found in the NEET-UG examination held on May 3, 2026. Taking immediate cognizance of this, the Government of India handed over the investigation to the CBI, canceled the examination, and announced the date for a re-exam. Along with this, it was decided to conduct this examination in CBT (Computer-Based Test) mode from the next year.
During this period, our primary priority was to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination for more than 2 million students. For this, work was carried out under a “whole of government approach.” In this, along with the Central Government, state governments, especially the district administration, played an important role. Furthermore, with the cooperation of students, guardians, and parents, this examination was completed on June 21, 2026.
From the very first day, I took responsibility for this and never turned away from the situation. My resolution was that we would not let the prospects of any meritorious student be ruined due to the examination mafia, nor allow injustice to be done to any student. The results of NEET-UG declared on July 16 were satisfactory, in which many meritorious students coming from poor backgrounds also achieved success.
However, even during this time, persons sitting in responsible positions tried to create obstacles to mislead many students, which deeply pained my heart. I have always had firm faith in the power of our democracy and have deeply respected the aspirations, dreams, and expectations of the youth. They are not only the future of India, but also the torchbearers, creators, and future architects of a new and developed India. Seeing the events of the past 10 days makes my heart sad. This is not a matter of personal prestige for me.
The youth power of India is the true strength of this country. We will not let the country’s youth power get trapped in the vicious circle of confusion; this is my resolution. Considering the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country—that anti-national forces should not take advantage of this situation, the country’s unity remains intact, the future of not even a single student of India gets entangled in legal complexities, and our children spend their time studying and focusing on building their careers—keeping all these things in mind, I have sent my resignation to the Hon’ble Prime Minister. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon’ble Prime Minister for his guidance, trust, and continuous support. At the same time, I also express my gratitude to all my esteemed colleagues in the Council of Ministers, officers and employees of the ministry, and all those individuals with whom I had the privilege of working. Serving the nation is the highest priority of my life. I will always remain dedicated to it.
With the blessings of Lord Shri Jagannath, in the future too, I will dedicate myself in every possible way to fulfill the aspirations of Mother India, the people of Odisha, and the youth of the country.
Following this resignation, the entire opposition has rushed to take credit for it. Meanwhile, Kakroch Janata Party chief Abhijit Deepke announced to the youth to hold a nationwide candle march in the evening and demanded that the cases against the youth be withdrawn. Meanwhile, Arvind congratulated the youth on this development. The Congress party also congratulated the youth.
