New Delhi, July 25: Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh on Saturday held the third round of talks with a delegation of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at the Constitution Club of India as the Centre continued discussions with the protesting group following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak issue.
The meeting took place hours after Pradhan stepped down from the Union Cabinet, stating that his decision was taken in the larger interests of students and the nation.
In his resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pradhan said he did not want the ongoing protests over examination irregularities to be exploited by “anti-national forces.” He stated that the country’s unity should remain intact and that the future of students should not become entangled in legal complications.
Pradhan’s resignation followed weeks of protests over alleged examination irregularities and a 26-day hunger strike led by activist Sonam Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar. The agitation has been spearheaded by the CJP, which has been demanding accountability over examination paper leaks.
Despite welcoming the resignation, the CJP said it would continue its protest at Jantar Mantar until all its demands are met.
Addressing supporters after the announcement, CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke claimed the resignation marked the first resignation by a Union Minister under the present government and said the protest would continue until the remaining demands are fulfilled.
The organisation has demanded compensation of ₹1 crore for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide over examination-related issues, assurance that no action will be taken against student protesters, and action against Delhi Police personnel accused of using force against demonstrators.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk also welcomed Pradhan’s resignation, describing it as a victory of democracy, peace and perseverance. In a post on X, he congratulated the protesters and called for reforms following what he termed a step towards accountability.
In his resignation letter, Pradhan defended the Centre’s handling of the NEET-UG controversy, stating that after irregularities surfaced in the May 3 examination, the government transferred the investigation to the CBI, cancelled the examination and conducted a re-test for more than two million candidates on June 21.
He also announced that from next year, the NEET-UG examination will be conducted entirely in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode to strengthen transparency in the examination process.
Meanwhile, the Centre is preparing to introduce an anti-paper leak law providing for Special Fast-Track Courts, a Special Task Force (STF) and other measures to prevent examination malpractices across the country.