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India has appointed Prahlad Joshi as its new education minister after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following weeks of nationwide protests over the alleged leak of a medical entrance examination question paper.
The appointment was confirmed in a statement issued by the President’s Office on Saturday evening.
According to the statement, President Droupadi Murmu accepted Pradhan’s resignation from the Union Council of Ministers on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Acting on the prime minister’s recommendation, the president also assigned Prahlad Joshi the additional charge of the Ministry of Education while he continues to oversee his existing ministerial responsibilities.
Joshi, a Lok Sabha member from Karnataka, currently heads the ministries of New and Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. He previously served as India’s minister for coal, mines and parliamentary affairs from 2019 to 2024.
Pradhan’s resignation came after nearly two months of protests led by students demanding accountability over the alleged leak of the medical entrance examination paper. Demonstrators had been staging continuous protests at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, calling for his resignation and reforms to the country’s examination system.
Hours after Pradhan stepped down, leaders of the student organization CJP, along with Union ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh, announced the withdrawal of the protests. They said the decision followed assurances from the central government that the protesters’ key demands would be addressed.
In his resignation letter, Pradhan said he had decided to step down to prevent opposition forces from exploiting the situation for political gain.
A day before assuming the education portfolio, Joshi said the government remained committed to protecting students’ interests and strengthening India’s education system. He also alleged that “anti-social elements” were attempting to exploit the student-led movement for their own purposes.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Friday, Joshi said the Modi government had consistently demonstrated concern for students and young people and was committed to taking strict action against any irregularities that could jeopardize their future.
“The Modi government has always stood with students and youth. We are committed to taking firm action against any injustice or malpractice that harms their future,” Joshi said.
While affirming that students have every right to protest peacefully, he urged them to remain vigilant and ensure that their genuine demands are not misused by outside groups.