Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 25: Union minister Pralhad Joshi has been entrusted with the additional charge of the Ministry of Education after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid nationwide protests over alleged exam paper leaks.

The President accepted Pradhan's resignation, and the appointment of Joshi as the new Education Minister was announced through an official communiqué on Saturday. Joshi will continue to hold his existing portfolio as Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs.

In his resignation letter, Pradhan said he had decided to step down to prevent ‘anti-national forces’ from taking advantage of the ongoing agitation. Highlighting his four decades of public service, he said he had always remained committed to students, teachers and educational reforms, and believed that a strong education system was vital to nation-building.

Pradhan's resignation came on the 35th day of protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where demonstrators had been demanding accountability over repeated exam paper leaks. His resignation was one of the key demands of the protest movement, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), founded by Boston University graduate Abhijeet Dipke.

Hours after Pradhan stepped down, CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, addressing a joint press conference with Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh, announced that the protest had been called off after the Centre assured them that their demands would be addressed.

A day before the resignation, Joshi had reiterated the Centre's commitment to safeguarding students' interests and ensuring strict action against any irregularities affecting examinations. While supporting the students' right to peaceful protest, he had also alleged that ‘anti-social elements’ were attempting to exploit the movement and urged protesters to remain vigilant.