Pradhan is unlikely to resign. (Photo: IG)
New Delhi: The demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation has intensified as protests over the NEET paper leak continue across the country. What began as a student-led protest in Delhi has now turned into a nationwide movement led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), with support from Opposition parties and several Indian celebrities.
The protests gained further momentum after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike at Gurugram's Medanta Hospital on Thursday night in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, along with his wife Gitanjali Angmo.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also assured strict action against those responsible for paper leak cases, stating that the welfare of the country's youth remains the government's top priority.
Despite growing political pressure, Pradhan is unlikely to resign, according to a PTI report citing a senior government official. The report said the top government leadership does not hold him personally responsible for the alleged examination paper leak and is expected to retain him in the Union Cabinet.
Pradhan, 57, has served in key ministries, including Petroleum and Natural Gas, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, before taking charge as Union Education Minister in June 2024.
Pradhan, who was born on June 26, 1969, in Talcher, Odisha, hails from a family with a political background. His father, Debendra Pradhan, was a senior BJP leader and a former Union Minister.
He attended Talcher College for his higher education and later pursued a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Anthropology from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. He is the current BJP MP from Sambalpur, which he won during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Based on his most recent election affidavit, the total net worth of Pradhan’s family is approximately ₹6.38 crore.
Pradhan has individually reported assets worth approximately ₹1.99 crore. This value comprises movable assets worth about ₹1.39 crore and immovable assets worth ₹92 lakh. Additionally, he has declared liabilities amounting to roughly ₹32 lakh.
His wife, Mridula Thakur, holds assets worth around ₹4.12 crore, and their daughter Naimisha and son Nishant have reported assets totaling ₹25 lakh and ₹1.62 lakh, respectively.
The family’s asset portfolio consists of bank deposits, Public Provident Fund (PPF), fixed deposits, mutual funds, insurance policies, agricultural and residential properties, and outstanding home loans from nationalised banks.
As per his election affidavit, Dharmendra Pradhan has five self-declared pending criminal cases, but no convictions.
The cases involve allegations related to unlawful assembly, promoting enmity between groups and criminal intimidation. All of them remain pending before the courts, and Pradhan has not been convicted in any of these matters. While protests continue to demand his resignation over the NEET paper leak controversy, the government has indicated that Pradhan is expected to remain in the Cabinet for now.
