Union Minister Pralhad Joshi officially assumed charge of the Ministry of Education on Sunday and immediately chaired his first high-level review meeting with senior officials to assess the progress of major education programmes and ongoing policy initiatives.
The meeting marked the beginning of a new chapter for the ministry following the resignation of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
First review focuses on key education initiatives
After taking charge at Kartavya Bhavan in New Delhi, Joshi reviewed the implementation of various flagship programmes and discussed the progress of initiatives related to school education and higher education.
The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary, Higher Education Secretary Dr. Vineet Joshi, School Education and Literacy Secretary T.K. Anil Kumar, along with other senior officials from the ministry.
Officials briefed the minister on ongoing projects, policy implementation, and priority areas aimed at strengthening India’s education system.
Assigned additional responsibility
Pralhad Joshi was given the additional charge of the Ministry of Education after President Droupadi Murmu, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan with immediate effect.
According to the official notification issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan, Joshi will continue to oversee his existing portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy, alongside the Education Ministry.
Leadership transition follows minister’s resignation
The change in leadership comes after Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down from the Union Council of Ministers amid the nationwide debate surrounding examination reforms and the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.
The government has indicated that strengthening transparency in competitive examinations and accelerating education reforms will remain key priorities under the ministry’s new leadership.
CJP ends 37-day protest
Hours after the change in the Education Ministry, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announced the withdrawal of its 37-day protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar following the third round of discussions with the Centre.
The decision came after a meeting between CJP representatives and Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh at the Constitution Club in New Delhi.
The organisation said it was ending the agitation in good faith after the Centre accepted its primary demand and assured action on other pending issues.
Focus shifts to implementing reforms
With a new Education Minister in office and the prolonged protest concluding, attention is now expected to shift toward implementing examination reforms, improving transparency in recruitment and entrance examinations, and strengthening accountability within the education system.
The ministry is also expected to closely monitor the rollout of ongoing policy initiatives while working to restore confidence among students and educational institutions following recent developments.
