Pralhad Joshi Appointed New Education Minister After Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns Amid NEET Protests

New Education Minister: Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the post of Education Minister on Saturday, July 25. His resignation has caused a stir in political circles. Following the resignation, the responsibility of the Ministry of Education has been temporarily entrusted to Prahlad Joshi. On the Prime Minister’s advice, the President issued an order assigning him the additional charge of the Ministry of Education alongside his existing portfolios.

According to the notification issued, Prahlad Joshi will handle the Ministry of Education’s work in addition to his current responsibilities; He has been given additional charge, while his existing departments remain with him as before.

Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the post of Education Minister on Saturday afternoon amid student protests. President Droupadi Murmu has accepted his resignation.

Who will be the next Education Minister?

With Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, the question arose: who would become the country’s next Education Minister? That question has now been answered; the responsibility of the Ministry of Education has been temporarily handed over to Prahlad Joshi.

Why did Dharmendra Pradhan resign?

Protests by lakhs of students had been ongoing across the country following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Demands were being raised for Dharmendra Pradhan to step down as Education Minister. Students were protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, and demonstrations regarding the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak were witnessed in various states across the country.

Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid these ongoing protests in Delhi and several other states. In his resignation letter, he wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the events of the past few days, and out of respect for the sentiments of the youth, I am resigning.”

Pradhan wrote, “For over four decades, I have been dedicated to students, teachers, and education reform. I have always believed that a strong, inclusive, and visionary education system forms the cornerstone of a strong nation.”