Pralhad Joshi appointed Union Education Minister after Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi was on July 25 appointed the new Union Education Minister after President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, ending his five-year tenure at the helm of the Ministry of Education.

The appointment came hours after Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, taking responsibility amid mounting nationwide protests over alleged paper leaks and examination irregularities. In his resignation letter, Pradhan said the decision was aimed at safeguarding students' interests, maintaining national unity and ensuring that young people could focus on their studies without prolonged uncertainty.

According to an official notification issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Droupadi Murmu accepted Pradhan's resignation on the advice of the Prime Minister and appointed Pralhad Joshi as the Union Minister for Education with immediate effect.

Joshi, a six-time Member of Parliament from Dharwad in Karnataka, is among the BJP's senior leaders and has previously held key portfolios, including Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. He has also served as the Karnataka BJP president and is regarded as an experienced organisational and parliamentary strategist.

His appointment comes at a crucial juncture, with the Ministry of Education facing demands to restore confidence in India's examination system following the alleged NEET-UG paper leak controversy.

The Centre has already transferred the investigation into the alleged irregularities to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), announced a fresh examination, and said future editions of the test would be conducted in computer-based mode.

Pradhan, who assumed charge as Education Minister in July 2021, oversaw the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and several reforms in higher education, school education and skill development during his tenure.

However, the alleged examination irregularities triggered sustained protests by students and opposition parties, who demanded accountability and systemic reforms.

The minister's resignation followed days of demonstrations across several states, including protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where students and youth groups demanded his removal over the handling of the controversy.

The developments marked one of the most significant political responses by the Centre to sustained public protests in recent years.

With Joshi taking over the Education Ministry, attention is expected to shift towards restoring credibility in the examination process, strengthening safeguards against malpractice and overseeing the implementation of the government's proposed reforms to ensure greater transparency in national-level entrance examinations.