New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday after weeks of sustained nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak row.

His resignation comes just hours before the third round of talks between the Government and representatives of the CJP, who have been protesting at Jantar Mantar for nearly a month. According to sources, he submitted his resignation to PM Narendra Modi on Saturday morning, taking responsibility for the controversy.

Dharmendra Pradhan in his twitter X post said that he had resigned in the larger interest of the party and the nation and that the country’s interests would always remain above personal considerations. In his resignation letter, he said that he had taken responsibility for the NEET paper leak from day one. To ensure that anti-national elements are not benefitted by the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country, that the nation remains united, students in India do not get tangled in legal complexities and focus on their studies and their career, I have tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister, he posted in twitter X.

Earlier in the day, the CJP had categorically stated that there was no point in participating in further talks unless Pradhan’s resignation was accepted by the Government. His resignation comes amid CJP-led protests at Jantar Mantar demanding his accountability over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and alleged irregularities in the CBSE’s on-screen marking process, besides seeking wider reforms in the conduct of public examinations.