Dharmendra Pradhan Resignation Accepted; Prahlad Joshi Gets Additional Charge of Education Ministry

July 25, 2026: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation has officially been accepted, with President Droupadi Murmu approving his resignation on the recommendation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Following Pradhan's exit, Prahlad Joshi has been given additional charge of the Ministry of Education on an interim basis while continuing to serve as the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

Joshi is considered one of the Bharatiya Janata Party's senior leaders and a close confidant of Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. A four-time Member of Parliament, he has held several key positions within both the BJP organisation and the Union government. Between 2012 and 2016, he served as the Karnataka BJP president and later handled the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Known for his long association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Joshi has now been entrusted with the additional responsibility of overseeing the Education Ministry until a permanent appointment is made during a future Cabinet reshuffle.

Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Modi on Saturday morning following weeks of mounting pressure amid nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak controversy. In a statement shared on social media, Pradhan said that the future of the country's students and the goal of building a transparent, corruption-free education system remained his highest priority. He stated that he had accepted responsibility for the alleged irregularities from the very beginning and had never attempted to avoid accountability.

धर्मेंद्र प्रधान के इस्तीफे के बाद प्रल्हाद जोशी बने नए शिक्षामंत्री, मिला अतिरिक्त प्रभार, जानें इनका राजनैतिक सफर ! pic.twitter.com/0YAyvsEjEr

— News Tak (@newstakofficial) July 25, 2026

Prahlad Joshi Takes Interim Charge of Education Ministry

In his resignation message, Pradhan also claimed that certain anti-national elements were attempting to misuse the student movement for political purposes. He said his decision to step down was intended to ensure that such groups could not take advantage of the situation and insisted that his resignation was in the larger interest of the nation. Later in the afternoon, President Murmu formally accepted his resignation based on the Prime Minister's recommendation.

Soon after Pradhan submitted his resignation, Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah reportedly held an emergency meeting to discuss the future leadership of the Education Ministry. According to reports, the meeting focused on identifying a suitable interim replacement while ensuring stability within the ministry during the ongoing controversy. BJP president Nitin Naveen also joined the discussions as the party's top leadership deliberated over the transition.

Following these consultations, the BJP leadership decided to hand Prahlad Joshi the additional responsibility of the Education Ministry. Party leaders reportedly viewed Joshi as an experienced administrator capable of handling the portfolio during a sensitive period. While he will continue to oversee the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry, the government is expected to appoint a full-time Education Minister during the next Cabinet reshuffle. Until then, Joshi will manage both ministries as the government seeks to restore confidence in the country's education system and address concerns raised by students across India.