Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is first by a cabinet-rank minister as responsibility over a governance row during Modi's tenure of 12 years as PM so far. Coming after pressure from the Cockroach Janta Party's massive protest and the Congress-led Opposition's sustained stance, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation on Saturday marked a major departure from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's long-held approach of standing by ministers facing political pressure.Several student organisations and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party gathered at Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai, to show solidarity with the CJP's protest in Delhi, on July 24, 2026. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)The resignation, once formally accepted, would become the first instance of a Union Cabinet-rank minister stepping down while explicitly taking responsibility for a major governance controversy during Modi's tenure of 12 years as PM so far.In his public letter announcing his decision on Saturday, Pradhan, a senior BJP leader who's held ministerial posts since 2014, said he resigned to ensure that the controversy over the medical entrance examination did not derail students' futures or allow “anti-national forces” to exploit the situation.How 'won't resign' was a policy of Modi regimeThe resignation is unusual because the Modi government has, over the past 12 years, consistently resisted Opposition's and others' demands for ministers to quit over controversies, arguing that resignations should not become a political instrument.Aarish Chhabra is an Associate Editor with the Hindustan Times online team, writing news reports and explanatory articles, besides overseeing coverage for the website. His career spans nearly two decades across India's most respected newsrooms in print, digital, and broadcast. He has reported, written, and edited across formats — from breaking news and live election coverage, to analytical long-reads and cultural commentary — building a body of work that reflects both editorial rigour and a deep curiosity about the society he writes for.