Pralhad Joshi formally assumed charge of India's Education Ministry at Kartavya Bhavan in New Delhi on Sunday, a day after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid nationwide student protests over the NEET paper leak. Joshi, who retains his existing Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy portfolios, was handed the education brief following the Cockroach Janata Party-led agitation.
India's foreign ministry on Sunday branded as misleading a viral social media post that falsely quoted spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal as saying intelligence found no foreign funding behind recent CJP protests. The MEA Fact Check unit said Jaiswal had actually told Friday's briefing he had no information to share on such allegations. The weeks-long protest ended Saturday after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday, submitting his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a month of student protests over alleged NEET paper leaks. The Cockroach Janta Party-led agitation at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, boosted by activist Sonam Wangchuk's 26-day hunger strike, had demanded accountability. Announcing his exit, Pradhan invoked 'youth power' and warned against 'anti-national forces' exploiting the unrest.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet was discussing moving Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to another ministry amid protests over the NEET-UG paper leak. At a Delhi press conference, Gandhi called that unacceptable, branded Pradhan 'corrupt and incompetent' and said the education system had been hijacked. He backed protesting students and demanded an apology from Modi.
The student group AISA has called a Bihar bandh to protest police action against students agitating over the alleged NEET paper leak. Marches and sit-ins swept districts including Vaishali, Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation; effigies of Modi and Pradhan were burnt. In Jehanabad, police fired 20 to 30 rounds after protesters stoned the magistrate's residence.
Speaking after the Monsoon Session's opening day, BJP MP Hema Malini said protesting in this fashion would achieve nothing and the grievances should be settled through discussion, arguing the Modi government has worked for students. She declined to comment on demands that Dharmendra Pradhan resign. Marchers heading for Parliament met a baton charge, while CJP delegates met Health Minister JP Nadda.