Prahlad Joshi takes over as Edu Minister, Centre to table exam bill

Prahlad Joshi has taken charge as the new Union Education Minister after Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET-UG 2026 row. The government is now set to introduce a bill in Parliament to prevent unfair means in public examinations.

Prahlad Joshi Replaces Dharmendra Pradhan Amid NEET Row

As Prahlad Joshi assumed charge as the Union Education Minister on Sunday after the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan from the position, the Centre and the opposition are set to lock horns in Parliament with the ruling government all set to introduce the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

The proposed legislation includes provisions for fast-track courts, stricter punishments and measures to strengthen the examination system amid nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2026. The move comes after nearly two months of protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and student groups demanding accountability over the alleged paper leak.

Amid mounting pressure, Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down as Union Education Minister, following which Pralhad Joshi was assigned charge of the ministry. Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the responsibility, Joshi announced on X that he had assumed charge of the Education Ministry. "Today, I assumed charge as the Union Minister for Education. I am grateful to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji for placing his faith in me and entrusting me with this responsibility," the Minister stated. He further added, "I accept it with humility and a deep sense of duty." https://x.com/JoshiPralhad/status/2081275126071640201?s=20

Joshi, an MP from Dharwad constituency in Karnataka, is shouldering the responsibilities of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Minister of New and Renewable Energy. During his previous tenure, he was the Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Minister.

Centre to Introduce Stricter Exam Law

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh will move for leave to introduce the legislation. The Bill introduces seven key amendments designed to plug enforcement loopholes, establish dedicated judicial mechanisms, and accelerate criminal trials following widespread irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination. The proposed legislation seeks to significantly overhaul the original 2024 framework by instituting strict time bounds for both investigations and judicial proceedings.

Other Legislative Business

Moreover, amid the furore over opposition demands, two bills, including the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 Bill were introduced in the Rajya Sabha. Other bills on the government's agenda include the Income-tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026; The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. The monsoon session of Parliament began on July 20 and is expected to continue till August 13.

Protests Force Pradhan's Resignation

Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation came after the students' agitation peaked on July 20 with the 'Chalo Sansad' march, which was met with police action against protesters. The police action invited criticism from the opposition, while the police maintained that the protest got violent, leading to several opposition leaders joining the protest.

Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was later accepted. The announcement, made by Pradhan on X, prompted a celebration at the protest site. In his letter, Pradhan stated that he was stepping down in the larger interest of students to ensure that the country's youth do not become "trapped in a web of confusion." He highlighted his long-standing association with education and reaffirmed his commitment to the aspirations of India's youth. "For more than four decades, I have been associated with students, teachers, and the cause of education reform. I have always believed that a strong, inclusive, and forward-looking education system is the foundation of a strong nation," Pradhan said.

Notably, activist Sonam Wangchuk became the face of the agitation after his announcement of an indefinite hunger strike on June 28, which he continued for 26 consecutive days, before he was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital by Delhi Police and later to Medanta Hospital.

CJP Withdraws Protest After Talks

A usually barren Jantar Mantar protest site witnessed commotion as the youth and students stepped in for the CJP-led 37-day agitation with creative banners and Gen Z slang, echoing the demand for the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan throughout the protest. Six student union leaders also carried out a hunger strike alongside Wangchuk. Three of them were reportedly hospitalised, while the other three broke their fast on July 20. What started as a satirical social media account after CJI Surya Kant's remarks, referring to the youth as 'cockroaches', the CJP successfully managed to make the centre accept the core demand of removing Pradhan.

Along with the resignation demand, the CJP also demanded compensation to the families of students who died by suicide after the paper leak and the withdrawal of FIRs against students protesting anywhere in the country. After Pradhan's resignation, Union Minister JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh held the third round of talks with the CJP and accepted its demands to provide suitable compensation to the families of the NEET aspirants who died by suicide and assured to withdraw the FIRs lodged against protesters anywhere in India. Nadda said the government would carefully examine the outfit's five-point charter on examination reforms and take necessary steps after discussions. The next round of talks is scheduled after four weeks.

'This is Just the Beginning': CJP

The CJP also withdrew its protest from Jantar Mantar in good faith. Spokesperson Saurav Das said that the outfit will continue to raise the youth's issues. Das told reporters, "This is just a trailer. The picture is still to come. The youth of the country have awakened. The youth of the country will solve all the problems in this country. As a party, as a movement, this is obviously not ending. Now we will go across the country, listen to the youth, bring the best policies for them, and continue to demand accountability from everyone. This is just the beginning. There is much more to be done."

"Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is the first step; if the system is not improved, the youth will come back in larger numbers. People have been beaten. We have demanded an FIR against police officials who did so, and we will work towards it," the CJP activist added.

Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said that the party will also look into the Punjab exam paper leak issue and announce its future course of action soon. "We will announce the future strategy soon. It only just ended yesterday; please give us a little time. We will address that too; we are currently planning for it," Dipke said.

Rebuilding Trust in Examination System

The NEET-UG 2026 was originally conducted on May 3; however, it was cancelled following the information of a paper leak. Subsequently, the centre decided to re-conduct the exam on June 21. The nation was enraged as several aspirants died by suicide following the paper leak news, leading to massive protests and the eventual stepping down of Pradhan.

Now the passage of the proposed 2026 Amendment Bill will serve as a crucial test for the Centre as it attempts to restore institutional credibility, safeguard the future of competitive exam aspirants, and rebuild public trust in national testing agencies.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)