The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protested at Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan due to alleged NEET 2026 paper leaks and irregularities in the CBSE’s On-Screen Marking system. Protesters criticized the government’s handling of the situation, chanting slogans such as, “Dharmendra Pradhan Istifa do (Dharmendra Pradhan step down). We asked for ‘Make in India’, you gave us ‘Leak in India’.”
Dharmendra Pradhan is a senior BJP leader and a Rajya Sabha MP, currently serving as India’s Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. He represents Madhya Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha and has previously been a member of the 14th Lok Sabha.
Born in Talcher, Odisha, Pradhan is the son of Debendra Pradhan. His political journey began with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the BJP’s student wing, where he served as National Secretary.
Pradhan entered electoral politics in 2000, winning a seat in the Odisha Legislative Assembly from the Pallahara constituency. He later secured the Deogarh Lok Sabha seat in 2004, becoming a member of the 14th Lok Sabha.
In March 2012, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar, rising to prominence as one of the BJP’s national leaders. After the BJP-led NDA came to power in 2014, Pradhan joined the Union Council of Ministers. He was elevated to Cabinet rank in 2016 and took on the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
On September 3, 2017, he was appointed Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, becoming the longest-serving minister in this role in independent India’s history, continuing through the second Modi government formed in May 2019.
In 2021, Pradhan assumed the role of Minister of Education while retaining his position in Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. He has been responsible for implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Pradhan has received several accolades, including the Best Legislator Award, the Utkalmani Gopabandhu Pratibha Samman (2002-03), and the Odisha Citizens’ Award in 2013.
Source: Economic Times
