The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has rubbished reports claiming that Dharmendra Pradhan was offered another Cabinet portfolio following his resignation as Union education minister. Calling the speculation “fictional” and “unfounded”, the party clarified that no such proposal was ever made and urged people not to rely on unverified reports. The statement comes just days after Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down from the Union Cabinet amid mounting political pressure over the NEET paper leak controversy.
BJP dismisses speculation over Dharmendra Pradhan’s future
Addressing the media, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra categorically denied claims that Dharmendra Pradhan had been offered another ministry after his resignation.
Patra said the reports had no factual basis and insisted that discussions being attributed to the Centre were entirely speculative. The clarification follows widespread reports suggesting the former education minister had declined an alternative Cabinet assignment after leaving the Education Ministry.
Following Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, Union minister Pralhad Joshi was entrusted with the additional charge of the Education Ministry.
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Resignation followed weeks of political pressure
The resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan came after prolonged protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party, which had made his exit from the Cabinet one of its principal demands. The demonstrations, centred around alleged irregularities in public examinations, continued for more than a month before an agreement was reached.
In a statement after resigning, Dharmendra Pradhan said his decision was taken in the larger national interest. He stated that he wanted students to focus on their education rather than prolonged political uncertainty and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the opportunity to serve as education minister.
The BJP has maintained that the resignation should not be viewed through the lens of political bargaining but as part of the government’s broader response to concerns surrounding examination reforms.
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Centre shifts focus to examination reforms
While rejecting speculation over Dharmendra Pradhan’s political future, the BJP reiterated that the government’s priority is strengthening India’s public examination system.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced a high-level task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to recommend technology-driven reforms aimed at improving transparency, cybersecurity, identity verification and preventing question paper leaks.
The Centre has also proposed amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, introducing stricter penalties for organised examination fraud and expanding investigative powers against paper leak syndicates.
With Dharmendra Pradhan no longer heading the Education Ministry, the government says its focus remains firmly on restoring public confidence in competitive examinations and implementing structural reforms that ensure greater accountability across the education system.
