Pralhad Joshi assumes Education Ministry charge as Dharmendra Pradhan resigns amid exam leak crisis
President Murmu accepts Pradhan's resignation following nationwide protests over NEET paper leak. Veteran BJP minister Pralhad Joshi takes additional charge of education portfolio while retaining consumer affairs responsibilities.
Pralhad Joshi assumes Education Ministry charge as Dharmendra Pradhan resigns amid exam leak crisis
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has been assigned additional charge of India's Ministry of Education following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday, the President's office confirmed in an official communique.
President Droupadi Murmu accepted Pradhan's resignation from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect under Article 75(2) of the Constitution, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The constitutional provision establishes that ministers hold office during the pleasure of the President, with the Council of Ministers collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
Joshi, a five-term Lok Sabha member from Dharwad constituency in Karnataka who has represented the seat since his first election in 2004, will oversee the education portfolio while continuing his existing responsibilities as Union Minister of Food and Consumer Affairs. He joined the Union Cabinet in May 2019, initially handling Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, before being appointed to his current portfolio following the 2024 elections, which also includes New and Renewable Energy.
Background to the ministerial change
Pradhan's departure follows sustained nationwide protests over examination irregularities. The NEET-UG 2026 examination, held on May 3 for over 2.27 million aspirants, was cancelled on May 12 after investigations revealed overlaps between a pre-circulated guess paper and the actual question paper. A re-examination conducted on June 21 saw more than 2 million students appear, with the government temporarily blocking messaging app Telegram until June 22 to prevent the spread of misinformation about fake leak claims.
Pradhan had served as Union Education Minister since July 7, 2021, with a mandate to implement the National Education Policy 2020. His tenure was marked by intensifying scrutiny of India's examination system, which has witnessed more than 90 instances of paper leaks and irregularities at national and state levels over the past two decades, including at least 15 involving examinations conducted by central agencies.
In a joint press conference on Saturday, Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Cockroach Janata Party leader Saurav Das urged students to end their protest and return home, stating the government had accepted all demands following Pradhan's resignation.
Ministerial responsibilities ahead
The Ministry of Education operates through two departments: the Department of School Education & Literacy and the Department of Higher Education. Joshi will be responsible for continuing implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 while addressing ongoing concerns about examination security.
The National Testing Agency, established in 2017 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, conducts NEET-UG and other major national entrance examinations with a mandate to ensure secure and fair testing. In 2024, the UGC-NET examination was cancelled after questions were allegedly compromised, leading to the removal of then NTA Director General Subodh Kumar Singh.
Officials confirmed the dual charge arrangement is designed to ensure continuity in the Education Ministry's functioning without disruption. The President's communique specified that the change takes effect immediately, formalising both Pradhan's exit and the interim arrangement under Joshi. Further details on any long-term restructuring of the Education Ministry are expected to be announced in due course.
