After weeks of the Cockroach Janta Party-led protests, Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday resigned as the Union education minister and said he was doing this to prevent the ongoing controversy over the NEET-UG examination “from harming students' futures” and to ensure that “anti-national forces do not exploit the situation”.New Delhi, India - July 24, 2026: Supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) gather during a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, in New Delhi, India, on Friday, July 24, 2026. (Photo by Sanjeev Verma/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)In a letter in Hindi addressed to the country's youth and posted on X, Pradhan said he was taking moral responsibility for the developments surrounding the medical entrance examination while defending the government's handling of the crisis.“From the very first day, I accepted responsibility and never turned away from this situation,” Pradhan wrote. He said that once irregularities were detected in the NEET-UG examination conducted on May 3, 2026, the Narendra Modi government immediately transferred the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), cancelled the examination, and announced and held a fresh test. The former minister said the re-examination held on June 21 was conducted successfully through a “whole-of-government approach”, involving the Centre, state governments and district administrations.‘Attempt to mislead’At the same time, he alleged that “individuals occupying responsible positions” had attempted to mislead students during the controversy, saying those efforts had caused him “deep anguish”.He did not identify any individuals or organisations, though he has attacked Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the past few days.Pradhan said the events of the past 10 days had saddened him but stressed that the issue was “not a matter of personal prestige”.Instead, he said his decision was guided by the need to protect students and preserve national unity.“Considering the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country, and to ensure that anti-national forces do not take advantage of it, that the country's unity remains intact, that not a single student's future gets entangled in legal complications, and that our children devote their time to studies and building their careers, I have submitted my resignation to the Hon'ble Prime Minister,” he wrote. He said the youth should not be allowed to fall into “the trap of misinformation and confusion”.Full text of Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, as translated from Hindi X postMy young friends,For more than four decades, I have remained dedicated as a student, a teacher, and to the cause of education reform. I have always believed that a strong, inclusive and forward-looking education system is the foundation of a strong nation.I have always deeply respected the aspirations, emotions and legitimate expectations of the country's youth. Fulfilling the dreams of India's young generation has been a moral commitment throughout our political and social lives. I express my gratitude to the Hon'ble Prime Minister for giving me the opportunity to serve the nation under his visionary leadership.However, irregularities came to light in the NEET-UG examination held on May 3, 2026. The Government of India immediately took cognisance of the matter, handed over the investigation to the CBI, cancelled the examination and announced a fresh date for the re-examination. It was also decided that from next year onwards, the examination would be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.During this period, our foremost priority was to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination for more than 20 lakh students. We worked with a whole-of-government approach. Along with the Government of India, state governments, especially district administrations, played an important role. With the cooperation of students, parents and guardians, the examination was successfully completed on June 21, 2026.From the very first day, I took responsibility and never turned away from this situation. My resolve was that we would not allow the prospects of any meritorious student to be ruined because of the examination mafia, nor would we allow injustice to be done to any student.The NEET-UG results declared on July 16 were satisfactory, with many meritorious students from poor backgrounds also achieving success.However, even during this period, individuals occupying responsible positions tried to create obstacles by misleading students, which caused me deep anguish.I have always had unwavering faith in the strength of our democracy and have always respected the aspirations, dreams and expectations of our youth. They are not only India's future, but also the torchbearers, builders and architects of a new and developed India.The developments of the past ten days have saddened me deeply. This is not a matter of personal prestige for me.India's youth are the nation's greatest strength.It is my resolve that we will not allow the country's youth to fall into the vicious cycle of confusion and misinformation.Considering the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country, and to ensure that anti-national forces do not take advantage of it, that the country's unity remains intact, that not a single student's future gets entangled in legal complications, and that our children devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers, I have submitted my resignation to the Hon'ble Prime Minister.I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon'ble Prime Minister for his guidance, trust and constant support. I also thank all my esteemed colleagues in the Council of Ministers, the officers and staff of the ministry, and all those with whom I had the privilege of working.Service to the nation is the highest priority of my life. I shall always remain dedicated to it.With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, I will continue to dedicate myself in every possible way to fulfilling the aspirations of Mother India, the people of Odisha and the youth of the country.Yours,Dharmendra Pradhan