Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday amid the prolonged nationwide agitation over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, calling on students to return to their studies and stating that his decision was aimed at preventing further escalation of tensions.

However, despite the political development and reports that the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had called off its protest after the government’s assurances on education reforms, unrest continued in parts of Delhi, raising fresh concerns over law and order and public security.

Pradhan says resignation is in the interest of students

In a letter addressed to the country’s youth, Pradhan said he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after considering the developments at Jantar Mantar and across the country.

He said the objective was to ensure that no student’s future became entangled in prolonged legal disputes, that national unity remained intact, and that disruptive forces did not exploit the situation.

Pradhan reiterated that the government had acted immediately after irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination surfaced by transferring the investigation to the CBI, cancelling the examination, announcing a fresh test, and deciding to shift future NEET examinations to Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.

Government had already announced reforms

The outgoing minister maintained that the Centre had accepted the need for stronger safeguards in the examination system and had initiated structural reforms to restore confidence in competitive examinations.

He also said the government remained committed to ensuring that deserving students were not deprived of opportunities because of organised examination malpractice.

CJP withdraws protest, but violence continues

Even after CJP leaders indicated that they were ending their agitation following the government’s commitments, disturbances continued at several locations.

Authorities reported incidents involving attacks on police personnel, damage to public property, and attempts to breach security barricades. Security forces remained deployed across sensitive areas to prevent further escalation.

Officials are investigating the identity of those involved in the violence. At present, there has been no official confirmation that those participating in the clashes were students. The continuation of violence after the principal protest leadership announced its withdrawal has prompted security agencies to examine whether unrelated or disruptive elements attempted to exploit the situation.

Security agencies remain on alert

With demonstrations giving way to sporadic violence in some areas, the focus has increasingly shifted from crowd management to maintaining public order and protecting critical government installations.

Police have appealed for calm while urging people not to be influenced by rumours or misinformation circulating on social media. Investigations are underway to identify individuals responsible for attacks on security personnel and damage to public infrastructure.

Attention now turns to restoring normalcy

Pradhan’s resignation marks a significant political development in the aftermath of the NEET controversy. As the government moves ahead with examination reforms and the ongoing investigation into the paper leak, authorities are also working to restore normalcy and ensure that genuine student concerns are addressed through institutional reforms rather than street violence.

The coming days are expected to focus on implementing promised education reforms, completing the investigation into the examination irregularities, and identifying those responsible for any acts of violence committed during or after the protests.