- Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Education Minister Saturday.
- Resignation followed NEET-UG paper leak protests.
- Sanjay Raut suggested Devendra Fadnavis for role.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday, following weeks of student protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar demanding accountability over the NEET-UG examination paper leak.
His resignation has sparked intense speculation over who will assume charge of the Ministry of Education.
ALSO READ: Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns As Education Minister Amid Students Protest Over NEET Leak
Who Will Be The Next Education Minister Of India?
Speaking to news agency PTI, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut fueled political speculation by claiming that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis could be given charge of the Education Ministry.
VIDEO | Mumbai: As Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) claims, “Devendra Fadnavis can be given Education Ministry.”
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 25, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/q60IznYObs
While the central government has yet to announce the name of the next Education Minister, the portfolio is currently being overseen by Ministers of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary and Dr Sukanta Majumdar.
Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns Over NEET Row
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation on X on Saturday amid nationwide student protests over the NEET-UG examination paper leak controversy.
"...To ensure that anti-national elements are not benefited by the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country, that the nation remains united, students in India do not get tangled in legal complexities and focus on their studies and their career, I have tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister, "Pradhan's letter read.
"The developments of the past ten days have saddened me. This is not a matter of my personal reputation. The youth of India are the nation's greatest strength. It is my resolve that our young people must not fall into the trap of misinformation and confusion," Pradhan added.
The development comes just a day after a delegation from the Abhijeet Dipke-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) met with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh. Following the high-level meeting, CJP leadership stated that the government had sought a day to decide on Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
(With Inputs From PTI)