PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was in keeping with the sense of responsibility that has defined his four decades in public life, while praising his contribution to the country's education sector.
Pradhan resigned on Saturday afternoon in the wake of mounting protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), with demonstrators at Jantar Mantar seeking accountability over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, irregularities in the CBSE's on-screen evaluation process and broader reforms in the conduct of public examinations.
In a post on X, Sawant said Pradhan had served the country with conviction and tireless energy through different phases of his political career, beginning with student activism and later as a Union Minister.
“Shri Dharmendra Pradhan ji has stepped down as Union Education Minister, a decision that reflects the same sense of responsibility that has marked his four decades in public life,” Sawant said.
Recalling Pradhan's tenure in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, Sawant said he played a key role in taking the benefits of the Ujjwala scheme to crores of households before moving to the Education Ministry.
“From his early years in student activism to steering the Petroleum & Natural Gas Ministry, reaching crores of homes through Ujjwala, and later leading the Ministry of Education, he has served the nation with conviction and tireless energy,” he added.
Sawant said Pradhan's stewardship of the National Education Policy would have a lasting impact on the country's education system.
"I thank Pradhan ji for dedicated service," he added, expressing confidence that Pradhan would continue to play an important role in national development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
