Dharmendra Pradhan to not resign, issues with NTA to be resolved: Govt sources
The development comes as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Friday reiterated that its demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was non-negotiable during the second round of talks with the Centre, led by Union Minister JP Nadda.
- Jul 24, 2026,
- Updated Jul 24, 2026 4:49 PM IST
Despite rising pressure from protestors at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Dharmendra Pradhan is unlikely to tender his resignation from the post of Union Education Minister, government sources told India Today. Sources added that the government believes that Pradhan's resignation and running away from responsibility will be the easiest thing to do.
The government is reportedly preparing a list of all the problems in the National Testing Agency (NTA) and is working towards resolving these problems soon. Sources within the government reiterated that the Centre has busted many gangs involved in paper leaks and more action is expected soon.
CJP demands Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation
The development comes as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Friday reiterated that its demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was non-negotiable during the second round of talks with the Centre, led by Union Minister JP Nadda. The student outfit, which has been leading the month-long protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, said the government had sought time until Saturday afternoon to respond to its key demand.
Pradhan's resignation has remained the central demand of the CJP-led agitation, which turned violent on July 20 when protesters attempted to march towards Parliament. The organisation has warned that it will intensify its protest if the Education Minister is not removed from office.
READ MORE | 'Non-negotiable': CJP holds firm on Pradhan's resignation as government seeks time till Saturday
What happened during the CJP-government meeting?
Following the nearly two-hour meeting at the Constitution Club, CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka claimed that the government had agreed in principle to two of the group's demands. These include providing Rs 1 crore compensation to the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and ensuring that no action is taken against protesting students.
"The government has asked for time till tomorrow afternoon on our demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. We hope the govt will remove him soon," Ranka told reporters.
He further said, "The government has expressed in-principle approval on the two demands of compensation (for families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide) and withdrawal of FIRs, legal cases on students."
A third round of discussions between CJP leaders and the government, represented by Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, is scheduled for Saturday.
Nadda, who also serves as the Union Health Minister, described the meeting as "cordial" but declined to share details or confirm whether the Centre had accepted any of the CJP's demands.
"They had three key demands and five reform suggestions for exams. We have told them that we will meet them again tomorrow afternoon," Nadda said.
Inside the proposed bill against paper leaks
The Union Cabinet approved a bill proposing stricter penalties for those involved in examination paper leaks. The move followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's late-night selfie video, in which he promised tougher action against paper leak rackets. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister had also announced the creation of fast-track courts dedicated to paper leak cases.
According to sources, the proposed legislation is expected to prescribe punishment of up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to Rs 10 crore for those convicted in paper leak cases. The existing law provides for imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh.
In another significant move, the government replaced the education secretary amid the ongoing protests, marking the first such administrative action since the NEET-UG paper leak controversy surfaced in May.
Meanwhile, activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 25-day hunger strike late on Thursday. His fast, undertaken in support of the CJP, had added momentum to the student agitation. Wangchuk said he decided to end the protest after receiving assurances from the government that no action would be taken against student protesters.
While Friday's meeting has opened a formal channel for dialogue between the government and the CJP, the key question remains whether the Centre will concede the demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. The outcome of Saturday's talks is now being closely watched.
Despite rising pressure from protestors at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Dharmendra Pradhan is unlikely to tender his resignation from the post of Union Education Minister, government sources told India Today. Sources added that the government believes that Pradhan's resignation and running away from responsibility will be the easiest thing to do.
The government is reportedly preparing a list of all the problems in the National Testing Agency (NTA) and is working towards resolving these problems soon. Sources within the government reiterated that the Centre has busted many gangs involved in paper leaks and more action is expected soon.
CJP demands Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation
The development comes as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Friday reiterated that its demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was non-negotiable during the second round of talks with the Centre, led by Union Minister JP Nadda. The student outfit, which has been leading the month-long protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, said the government had sought time until Saturday afternoon to respond to its key demand.
Pradhan's resignation has remained the central demand of the CJP-led agitation, which turned violent on July 20 when protesters attempted to march towards Parliament. The organisation has warned that it will intensify its protest if the Education Minister is not removed from office.
READ MORE | 'Non-negotiable': CJP holds firm on Pradhan's resignation as government seeks time till Saturday
What happened during the CJP-government meeting?
Following the nearly two-hour meeting at the Constitution Club, CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka claimed that the government had agreed in principle to two of the group's demands. These include providing Rs 1 crore compensation to the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and ensuring that no action is taken against protesting students.
"The government has asked for time till tomorrow afternoon on our demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. We hope the govt will remove him soon," Ranka told reporters.
He further said, "The government has expressed in-principle approval on the two demands of compensation (for families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide) and withdrawal of FIRs, legal cases on students."
A third round of discussions between CJP leaders and the government, represented by Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, is scheduled for Saturday.
Nadda, who also serves as the Union Health Minister, described the meeting as "cordial" but declined to share details or confirm whether the Centre had accepted any of the CJP's demands.
"They had three key demands and five reform suggestions for exams. We have told them that we will meet them again tomorrow afternoon," Nadda said.
Inside the proposed bill against paper leaks
The Union Cabinet approved a bill proposing stricter penalties for those involved in examination paper leaks. The move followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's late-night selfie video, in which he promised tougher action against paper leak rackets. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister had also announced the creation of fast-track courts dedicated to paper leak cases.
According to sources, the proposed legislation is expected to prescribe punishment of up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to Rs 10 crore for those convicted in paper leak cases. The existing law provides for imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh.
In another significant move, the government replaced the education secretary amid the ongoing protests, marking the first such administrative action since the NEET-UG paper leak controversy surfaced in May.
Meanwhile, activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 25-day hunger strike late on Thursday. His fast, undertaken in support of the CJP, had added momentum to the student agitation. Wangchuk said he decided to end the protest after receiving assurances from the government that no action would be taken against student protesters.
While Friday's meeting has opened a formal channel for dialogue between the government and the CJP, the key question remains whether the Centre will concede the demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. The outcome of Saturday's talks is now being closely watched.