Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25 after weeks of protests.
The young anti-government demonstrators, who called themselves “cockroaches,” have been pushing for Pradhan’s resignation through large protests after the NEET-UG (National Eligibility Entrance Test–Undergraduate) exam was leaked, leading to its rescheduling.
“The situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country—may this situation not be exploited by anti-national forces, may the unity of the country remain intact, and may not even a single student of India have to waste time in the labyrinth of future legal proceedings,” Pradhan wrote in his resignation letter on July 25, according to a translation of the text.
“Keeping this in mind, I have submitted my resignation to the Hon’ble Prime Minister.”
He admitted issues with the leak when he announced his exit.
“Irregularities were found in the NEET-UG examination held on 3 May 2026,” Pradhan said.
“Taking cognizance of this immediately, the Government of India canceled the examination after investigation by the CBI and re-conducted it, and also decided to conduct this examination in CBT (Computer-based test) mode from next year.”
The test was supposed to serve as an entrance exam for approximately 2.2 million people seeking admission to the bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery program.
“From the very first day, I had taken responsibility for this, and I never turned my face away in this situation,” Pradhan wrote. “My resolve was that we will not let any meritorious student fail due to the examination mafia, and no injustice will be done to any student.”
The leaked questions closely matched the actual exam, prompting the National Testing Agency to cancel the exam in mid-May, reschedule it for June 21, and announce the results on July 16.
“I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon’ble Prime Minister for his guidance, trust, and continuous cooperation,” Pradhan said.
“At the same time, I also thank all the respected colleagues of the Cabinet, the officers and employees of the Ministry, and all those people with whom I have had the opportunity to work. Nation service is the highest priority of my life, and for this I will always remain dedicated.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers a speech at the India-Japan Economic Forum in Tokyo on Aug. 29, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato
Health Minister JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, a junior minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, held a press conference on July 25 after Pradhan’s resignation, confirming that the government would reform the exam system.
The government officials also agreed to drop criminal charges against protesters and compensate the families of students who died by suicide after the leaks.
The Cockroaches, officially known as the Cockroach Janta Party, called off the demonstrations on July 25 following the latest development.
“All the demands raised by our team have been accepted; therefore, we request protesters to withdraw and peacefully go home,” said Ashutosh Ranka, a spokesperson for the Cockroach Janta Party.
Reuters contributed to this report.
