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Newspaper edition · 26 Jul 2026
Dharmendra Pradhan quit as Education Minister on Saturday after 36 days of student protests over paper leaks, prompting the Cockroach Janta Party to call off its agitation at Jantar Mantar.
By Rohan Iyer
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Education Minister on Saturday, ending a 36-day student protest at Jantar Mantar. The protests, which began over NEET and other exam paper leaks, had spread across several states and paralyzed the monsoon session of Parliament.
President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation and appointed Pralhad Joshi as the new Education Minister. In his resignation letter, Pradhan said he was stepping down so that “anti-national” elements could not exploit the situation.
As news broke, protesters at Jantar Mantar erupted in joy. Activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose hunger strike had given momentum to the movement, called it a victory of democracy and perseverance. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announced it was calling off the protest after the government agreed to two demands: ₹1 crore compensation to families of students who died by suicide after the NEET cancellation, and withdrawal of all FIRs registered against protesters.
Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh met CJP representatives before the announcement. Nadda said the government would give “honourable compensation” within rules and ensure no action against protesters. He added that the government would deliberate on broader education reforms.
Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, demanded that the Prime Minister apologize to students and that strict action be taken against those who used force. Gandhi called the resignation “symbolic” but said more was needed.
Even as protests wound down, the government moved to tighten laws against exam fraud. Union Minister Jitendra Singh is set to introduce the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The bill strengthens penalties under the 2024 Act, introduces a mandatory two-month investigation deadline, and imposes fines of up to ₹10 crore for organized crime networks.
Separately, Maharashtra Police arrested the prime accused in the state’s Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak case from Bihar. Bijendra Kumar Gupta and his associate Indrajit Singh were flown to Pune and remanded in custody till July 30. The leak had affected nearly six lakh candidates. Fourteen people have been arrested so far.
The U.S. announced permanent 10% tariffs on imports from 60 countries over forced labour concerns. India said about 45% of its exports to the U.S., including generic drugs and smartphones, are exempt from the new duty. The tariff is lower than the initially proposed 12.5%.
The Commerce Ministry said India was placed in a lower tier of additional tariffs after sustained engagement with the U.S. Trade Representative. Products covered under Section 232 (steel, aluminium, auto parts) are also not subject to the extra 10% duty. The remaining 55% of Indian exports will attract the 10% duty, but India’s tariff incidence is lower than most other economies.
India was not included in a U.S. textile quota mechanism for Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia, but said it continues to work with Washington on textile exports.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia on Saturday, targeting Aramco facilities in Yanbu and Jizan. The attack came in response to Saudi airstrikes on the city of Hodeida. The Houthis have threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping, raising risks for global trade routes.
The clashes add to instability in the Red Sea, where the U.S. and Iran are vying for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
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