Hours after Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down on Saturday as India’s Education Minister amid intensifying student protests, the Opposition termed the move ‘a landmark victory’ for students and citizens who had been demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations across the country. Leaders across parties said the development propagated the message that sustained public pressure and peaceful democratic protests could compel the Union government to respond to rising discontent among commoners.

Pradhan announced his resignation on Saturday noon, amid the ongoing agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which had been seeking his removal over the alleged exam irregularities, including the NEET UG 2026 paper leak. His decision came just hours before the third round of talks between the CJP representatives and the government officials. 

Kharge calls resignation a victory for India’s youth

Congress supremo Mallikarjun Kharge took to ‘X,’ saying the resignation belonged not to any political party but to millions of young people who had taken to the streets seeking reforms in the country’s education system. His statement read, “This is the victory of our millions of youth who raised their voices on the streets across the country to fix the education system... This is the victory of all those families who lost their blood, their children, because this government is corrupt."

Furthermore, he hailed the united stand taken by the Opposition parties, saying that they had consistently raised concerns of the students both inside Parliament and through public campaigns. 

Shashi Tharoor chips in too

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described the development as an acknowledgment that democratic accountability cannot be indefinitely evaded. He posted on ‘X’, “It comes after weeks of determined, peaceful voices raised by students, parents and citizens across the country who refused to be ignored.” 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The resignation of the Education Minister is an acknowledgment that accountability in a democracy cannot be indefinitely evaded. It comes after weeks of determined, peaceful voices raised by students, parents and citizens across the country who refused to be ignored.<br><br>It also… <a href="https://t.co/3KkcRX5MBo">https://t.co/3KkcRX5MBo</a></p>&mdash; Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) <a href="https://x.com/ShashiTharoor/status/2080947753627308497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Kejriwal calls it a ‘Big win for democracy’

Following Pradhan’s resignation, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal welcomed the decision, terming it a ‘significant moment for democratic values.’ In a video statement, he congratulated students and young protestors of the country, calling the resignation a ‘big win for democracy’ and a testament to the power of peaceful public mobilisation. 

“Took responsibility amid growing crisis”: Pradhan

Announcing his resignation via his official ‘X’ handle, Pradhan said he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi in light of the prevailing situation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. His statement read, “Considering the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country, so that anti-national forces do not take advantage of this situation ... I have sent my resignation letter to the Prime Minister.” 

Towards the end of his post, he maintained that he had accepted full responsibility for the alleged NEET paper leak and had ‘never turned away from the situation.’ However, he also claimed that people holding responsible positions tried to create obstacles and mislead students.