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Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns After NEET Paper Leak Protests

The move signals political accountability for a scandal that exposed testing failures and sparked mass student dissent.

Overview

  • Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday after weeks of student-led protests that demanded his removal over alleged leaks in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam.
  • The National Testing Agency cancelled the May 12 NEET exam and the government referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation, with the probe still under way.
  • Street demonstrations led by the Cockroach Janta Party began at Jantar Mantar on June 20 and escalated when Sonam Wangchuk began a hunger strike on June 28 and was later hospitalised.
  • Violence broke out during an attempted march to Parliament on July 20 and protesters and rights groups have alleged police used tear gas, batons and pellet rounds against demonstrators.
  • Prominent activists, including Gitanjali Angmo and Sonam Wangchuk, hailed the resignation as accountability and pressed for systemic reforms to exam integrity and protest management while the official inquiry continues.