Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who took charge as the Union Education Minister on Sunday, expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for entrusting him with the responsibility.
In a post on X, after taking the additional charge, Joshi said: “Today, I assumed charge as the Union Minister for Education. I am grateful to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji for placing his faith in me and entrusting me with this responsibility.”
“I accept it with humility and a deep sense of duty,” he added.
Pralhad Joshi, who is currently the Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs, has assumed additional charge of the Education Ministry following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan amid nationwide protests over alleged question paper leaks in examinations.
Joshi’s appointment comes at a time when the Education Ministry is facing intense public and political scrutiny due to widespread student protests demanding accountability for alleged irregularities in various competitive exams.
The President’s Secretariat issued an official communique on Saturday confirming Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. The communique stated that President Droupadi Murmu, on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has accepted Pradhan’s resignation from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect under Article 75(2) of the Constitution.
Simultaneously, the President has given additional charge of the Ministry of Education to Pralhad Joshi. He will continue to handle his existing Food and Consumer Affairs portfolio alongside the Education Ministry.
Pradhan’s resignation represents a significant shift in the Union Cabinet. He had been heading the Education Ministry amid prolonged student unrest triggered by alleged paper leaks and other examination-related controversies.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called off its protest on Saturday after the government accepted its demands, which included the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.
Union Ministers JP Nadda and Dr Jitendra Singh, along with CJP representatives, held a meeting on Saturday and later addressed a joint press conference.
Subsequently, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das urged students to end their protests and return home, stating that the government had accepted all the key demands raised by the agitating students.
