Opposition leaders described Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as a victory for students and democratic pressure, while protest organisers said the campaign for wider education reforms was not over.
Published: July 26, 2026 | Updated: July 26, 2026
- Rahul Gandhi praised the youth movement but demanded wider accountability from the government.
- Arvind Kejriwal called the resignation a major victory for democracy.
- Mallikarjun Kharge said the voices of students had finally reached those in power.
- CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the victory belonged to the protesters and warned against turning one individual into a hero.
New Delhi: Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union Education Minister triggered a wave of political reactions on Saturday, with opposition leaders calling the development a victory for students who sustained weeks of protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.
Leaders from the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress said the resignation demonstrated the power of sustained public pressure. Several of them, however, maintained that a ministerial resignation alone would not address the deeper problems affecting India’s examination system.
Protest organisers also welcomed the announcement but said demands concerning examination reform, accountability and the treatment of demonstrators remained unresolved.
Opposition parties described the resignation as proof that sustained student mobilisation could force political accountability.
Rahul Gandhi Praises Youth, Seeks Wider Accountability
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi congratulated the young protesters and praised their persistence following Pradhan’s resignation.
Gandhi described the minister’s departure as an important signal produced by the determination of the country’s youth. He said the development should not be treated as the end of the issue and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise over the examination controversy.
The Congress leader also indicated that his party would continue raising questions about accountability, alleged examination failures and the broader condition of India’s education system.
Mallikarjun Kharge Calls It a Victory for Students
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the voices of students had finally reached those occupying positions of power.
Kharge presented the resignation as the result of sustained pressure from students and young people rather than a voluntary act by the government.
Congress leaders said the resignation established political responsibility but argued that further action was necessary to prevent paper leaks and protect the credibility of national entrance examinations.
Opposition parties said Pradhan’s departure represented political accountability, but maintained that examination reforms, transparent investigations and action against those responsible for paper leaks were still required.
Arvind Kejriwal Calls It a Win for Democracy
Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal congratulated the country and described Pradhan’s resignation as a major victory for democracy.
In a video message, Kejriwal praised Gen Z protesters and students who continued their agitation despite difficulties at protest sites.
Kejriwal described the resignation as a “big win for democracy” and congratulated the students who participated in the movement.
Kejriwal said the development showed that governments could be compelled to respond when citizens remained united and continued raising their demands.
Manish Sisodia Says Students Secured the Resignation
Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said Pradhan had not stepped down voluntarily and that students had forced the government to accept their demand.
Sisodia argued that the resignation should have taken place when the alleged NEET paper leak first emerged. He called for a wider transformation of India’s education and examination systems.
Akhilesh Yadav Calls It a Gen Z Victory
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav described the resignation as a victory for Gen Z and the new generation of students who had come forward with their demands.
He said the government had ultimately been forced to bow before the determination of young protesters.
In a brief reaction shared online, Yadav described the development not merely as a resignation but as a form of public revolution.
Dimple Yadav Salutes Students’ Courage
Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav said the victory belonged to the students and praised their courage, determination and persistence.
She also expressed regret over the alleged violence, hardship and humiliation experienced by protesters during the agitation.
Dimple Yadav called for systemic change that would address corruption and allow young people to pursue their ambitions without uncertainty.
Shashi Tharoor Demands Transparent Reforms
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said Pradhan’s resignation demonstrated that accountability in a democracy could not be avoided indefinitely.
Tharoor said the resignation should be followed by transparent reforms so that the future of young Indians was not placed at risk again.
He argued that attention must now turn to the structural failures that led to the examination controversy rather than treating the minister’s exit as a complete resolution.
Mahua Moitra Targets Modi Government
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra reacted by repeating Rahul Gandhi’s broader political criticism of the Modi government.
Her response framed the resignation as part of a wider contest between the government and a younger generation demanding accountability and institutional change.
Abhijeet Dipke: “We Have Done It”
Celebrations erupted at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar when confirmation of Pradhan’s resignation reached the protest site.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told protesters that they had succeeded in securing one of the movement’s principal demands.
The CJP described the development as a victory for protesters and democracy. Dipke, however, urged supporters not to credit the result to him alone.
“Don’t make me a hero because Dharmendra Pradhan resigned today,” Dipke told supporters, saying the victory belonged to the wider movement.
Dipke said the campaign had demonstrated that India was governed by its Constitution and that sustained democratic protests could compel those in power to respond.
CJP Says More Demands Remain
Despite celebrating Pradhan’s resignation, CJP organisers indicated that the movement’s remaining demands had not all been fulfilled.
Protest representatives continued to seek measures concerning compensation, protection for demonstrators and accountability for alleged police action during the protests.
Organisers also called for deeper reforms intended to prevent future paper leaks and rebuild student confidence in national examinations.
Pralhad Joshi Takes Charge of Education Ministry
President Droupadi Murmu accepted Pradhan’s resignation from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Cabinet Minister Pralhad Joshi was subsequently assigned additional charge of the Ministry of Education.
Joshi takes responsibility for the ministry at a politically sensitive moment, with students, parents and opposition parties demanding stronger examination security and transparent institutional reforms.
Political Debate Expected to Continue
While opposition leaders celebrated the resignation as a landmark moment, the political debate surrounding examination irregularities is unlikely to end with Pradhan’s departure.
Questions concerning examination security, responsibility for alleged paper leaks, police action against protesters and long-term reforms are expected to remain prominent in Parliament and public debate.
The resignation has nevertheless provided the youth-led protest movement with its most significant political outcome and strengthened demands for greater accountability in the administration of national examinations.
