India’s Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned amid nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations. He announced his resignation in a letter posted on X on Saturday. Pradhan said the decision was not about personal prestige, but was taken in the interests of students, national unity and future generations.

He said the government acted quickly after allegations emerged over the NEET-UG examination held on May 3, 2026. The investigation was handed to the Central Bureau of Investigation, the examination was cancelled and a re-examination was announced. The government also decided that the test would be conducted entirely through a computer-based system from next year. Pradhan said coordinated efforts by the central government, state governments and district administrations enabled a re-examination for more than 2 million students.

He thanked students and parents for their cooperation in the June 21 re-examination. Calling the results released on July 16 satisfactory, he said many talented students from disadvantaged families performed well. Pradhan said he submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prevent disruptive forces from exploiting the situation, preserve national unity, avoid legal complications for students and allow them to focus on their studies.