LIVE | Pralhad Joshi gets additional charge of education ministry; CJP withdraws protest

Pradhan's exit won't fix education until Modi govt is uprooted, says Siddaramaiah

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah cautioned on Saturday against viewing Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's departure as a full fix for systemic flaws in the education system. Emphasizing that the fundamental issues remain unresolved, he urged youth groups to keep pushing and maintain pressure on the Central government. 

In a post on X, he said, "The resignation of the Education Minister alone will not resolve all the problems plaguing the education sector. As long as the masters of the school of authoritarianism and misrule remain securely seated in power, the departure of such disciples cannot reform the institution."

"Until Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has commercialised everything from politics to education, is removed from office, neither can the education system be repaired nor can India survive as a democracy. Therefore, the students and youth of this country must not stop with celebrating the resignation of one incompetent and corrupt minister. Their struggle must continue until the incompetent and corrupt government at the Centre is uprooted. The Congress party will always stand with the people in the fight to protect democracy and the Constitution," he added.

'RSS institutional capture has hollowed out education system, reforms needed': Rahul

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi asserted that the RSS's capture of India's institutions—particularly the education system—has hollowed out the foundation of knowledge from within and made deep, meaningful reforms necessary. He expressed scepticism regarding the government's ability to implement such reforms, though he noted that time will tell.

India is not your fiefdom: Rahul warns govt of bigger backlash if demands ignored

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi issued a warning to the government, stating that India is not its personal fiefdom and must be run according to the Constitution. He emphasised that the educational institutions belong to the people, cautioning that if the government continues on its current path, it will face opposition on a scale ten times larger than the current protests.

Jantar Mantar filled with chants and tricolours as protesters celebrate Pradhan's resignation

Patriotic songs, drumbeats and chants of "Vande Mataram" echoed through Jantar Mantar on Saturday as thousands of protesters erupted in celebration after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned over the NEET paper leak, calling it the first major victory of their weeks-long agitation.

The celebration continued even as, just after the meeting with Union ministers, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokespersons said the agitation was being withdrawn with the government accepting all demands put forth by the outfit.

The protest site, which witnessed clashes, tear gas and injuries just days earlier, transformed into a scene of jubilation as protesters hugged one another, waved the tricolour, danced in circles to the song 'Chak De! India' and beat daflis while chanting slogans celebrating democracy and student unity.

Many held aloft portraits of Dr BR Ambedkar, while others recorded videos recreating a popular social media meme by pointing first to Pradhan's resignation letter on a mobile phone screen and then to the cheering crowd gathered at Jantar Mantar.

From members and volunteers on the stage to those standing at the very back of the packed gathering, protesters spontaneously joined in singing the national anthem in unison before breaking into loud cheers again. "This resignation should have happened much sooner," said Nitin, a protester, who was heading back home from the protest site.

Time has come to remove this govt, 'daro mat': Rahul after Pradhan's resignation

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday congratulated students and youth over Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation and urged other groups to show courage and stand up, saying it is time to remove the government.

He said two demands are still pending: action against all people who committed "atrocities" against the students protesting against paper leaks and an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the students.

In a video message posted on X after Pradhan's resignation, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha said, "Daro mat (don't be afraid). Let's get rid of this regime that is attacking India, destroying our Constitution, capturing all our institutions." Pradhan resigned from his post on Saturday following student protests across the country for his ouster over the NEET paper leak issue.

Rahul said his resignation is a huge step towards rebuilding the education system.

"It's a symbolic step because he was a symbol, but it is still a big step," he said. "I want to congratulate every single student, every single youngster who came out on the streets and fought for democracy, fought for the future of this country and defended the Constitution. I am proud of you. Well done." The Congress leader also said Pradhan's resignation is a signal to other communities - farmers, labourers, poor people -- that is being oppressed by the government. "There is wisdom and courage in standing up," he said.

Special CP, two officers injured in stone-pelting at Jantar Mantar

A special commissioner of police was among three police officers injured after a section of protesters allegedly pelted stones at security personnel at Jantar Mantar shortly after the announcement of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation on Saturday, police sources said.

The incident prompted security forces to lob tear gas and resort to a mild lathicharge to bring the situation under control, sources added.

The violence erupted when a section of the gathering allegedly turned aggressive as senior police officers were overseeing crowd management at the protest site, the sources said.

According to the police source, the special commissioner of police, Anil Shukla of the Special Cell, along with other senior and field officers, was at the forefront of efforts to regulate the crowd and prevent any breach of security arrangements.

As officers moved closer to the protesters to maintain order, some demonstrators raised slogans while another group allegedly began pelting stones without any provocation, said the source.

The special commissioner sustained injury during the stone-pelting and was immediately evacuated by police teams to a nearby hospital for treatment.

CJP calls for immediate and peaceful end to protests

Following talks between the CJP delegation and the government, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka announced during a joint press conference that all of their demands had been accepted. He subsequently requested the protesters to peacefully withdraw the ongoing demonstrations with immediate effect.

Cockroach Janta Party calls off protests after third round of talks with Union govt

Following the third round of talks with the Union government, the Cockroach Janta Party announced on Saturday that it has withdrawn its protests with immediate effect. The party stated that the government agreed to its second demand, confirming that FIRs registered against protesting students will be withdrawn. However, clarity remains lacking regarding the demand for ₹1 crore in compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide.

Student outfits celebrate Pradhan's resignation, vow to continue stir over other demands

Student organisations cutting across party lines on Saturday celebrated the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak, asserting that their protests would continue until their other demands are met. ' Pradhan earlier announced that he was stepping down from his post to prevent “anti-national forces from exploiting it, preserving national unity, ensuring that not a single Indian student's future gets entangled in legal complexities”.

Neha Bora, a PhD scholar at JNU and one of the three AISA members who were on indefinite hunger strike along with activist Sonam Wangchuk, expressed her jubilation on X, saying “Congratulations on the defeat @dpradhanbjp”.

However, many student organisations said they would continue their movement until the National Testing Agency (NTA) is scrapped, and the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, is withdrawn.

Activists of the Congress-affiliated student body, National Students' Union of India, announced a "victory march" from the organisation's headquarters on Raisina Road to mark Pradhan's resignation.

Investigation into paper leak cases to be completed within two months: Bill

A bill to amend a two-year-old anti-paper leak law, which proposes to set up fast-track courts in every state for speedy trials of accused, is set for introduction in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

According to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, investigations into paper leak cases are to be completed within two months.

The bill circulated to the Lok Sabha members ahead of its introduction says that individuals involved in paper leaks or unfair means in exams will get jail terms for a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10 years, and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.

For organised crimes, the bill proposes a minimum sentence of seven years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore.

All the states and UTs will be directed to set up fast-track courts, which will conduct hearings swiftly and complete the trial within three months of filing of the chargesheet, the bill says.