Dharmendra Pradhan, India’s Education Minister, Resigns Over Exam Scandal

India’s Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, has resigned over a recent exam scandal, a case that has sparked widespread protests across the country.

Pradhan, who was leading the protests against a paper leak in 1997, was injured in a police lathi charge during the demonstration. Fast forward to 2026, students and youth are protesting against another paper leak, and Pradhan has resigned as the Education Minister, taking moral responsibility for the scandal.

Protests and Police Action

On July 20, 2026, students and youth marched towards the parliament, demanding Pradhan’s resignation. The police resorted to a lathi charge, injuring several protesters. Prashant Rout, the president of the Raja Madhusudan Dev College students’ union, confirmed the incident to the BBC.

Rout, who was also the president of the ABVP’s Bhubaneswar branch, recalled the 1997 protests against the paper leak. ‘Dharmendra Pradhan was the national general secretary of the ABVP, and he led the protests,’ Rout said. ‘The police used rapid action force and resorted to a lathi charge, injuring 64 of our workers, including me and Dharmendra Pradhan.’

Pradhan’s Rise in Politics

Dharmendra Pradhan’s journey in politics began in the 1980s as a student leader. He was associated with the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) from a young age. Pradhan became the president of the Talcher College students’ union and later contested the election for the president of the Utkal University students’ union.

Although he lost the election to Arun Sahu, who is now a senior leader of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Pradhan’s rise in politics continued. He became the national general secretary of the ABVP, followed by stints as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and the national general secretary of the BJP.

Pradhan’s association with the RSS and his proximity to Amit Shah and JP Nadda have been cited as factors that contributed to his rise in politics. His former classmate, Sindhujyoti Tripathy, claimed that Pradhan’s close relationship with Shah and Nadda played a significant role in his political advancement.