RismadarVoice Reporters, July 26, 2026
India’s Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, has resigned after days of nationwide protests led by thousands of young people demanding sweeping reforms to the country’s education system.
The demonstrations, coordinated by the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), drew large crowds to the streets of New Delhi and several other major cities, with protesters calling for improvements to the education sector and Pradhan’s resignation.
In a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Pradhan announced that he had decided to step down, saying he was deeply concerned by the events that had unfolded over the previous 10 days.
According to the outgoing minister, the crisis transcended personal considerations, prompting him to submit his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In his resignation letter, written in Hindi, Pradhan formally informed the prime minister of his decision to leave office, expressing hope that the move would contribute to resolving the impasse surrounding the protests.
His resignation came as the government intensified efforts to end the demonstrations through dialogue with protest leaders.
Following the announcement, the Cockroach Janta Party said the government had accepted all of its key demands during a fresh round of negotiations. The group subsequently announced the suspension of its protest at the Jantar Mantar demonstration ground in central New Delhi.
The latest development followed several days of unrest, during which thousands of demonstrators marched in different parts of the country to demand comprehensive reforms in India’s education system.
Earlier in the week, security forces fired tear gas and used batons to disperse protesters attempting to march from the protest venue to the Parliament complex after negotiations between government officials and representatives of the movement failed to produce an immediate breakthrough.
The government had held two rounds of discussions with CJP representatives on Monday and Friday, but the talks initially ended without an agreement as protesters insisted that their demands be fully implemented.
Pradhan’s resignation came ahead of a planned third round of negotiations, a development widely seen as a significant step toward easing tensions between the government and the protesters.
In his farewell message, the former education minister described India’s youth as the country’s greatest asset and pledged to continue supporting initiatives aimed at improving opportunities for young people.
He also expressed hope that future policies would shield the country’s youth from what he described as uncertainty and confusion while strengthening the nation’s education system.
