Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned following widespread student protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination.

The resignation marks a significant victory for student activists who argued that systemic lapses in the national medical entrance exam required top-level accountability. The movement highlighted growing frustration with the administration of high-stakes testing in India.

Students of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) celebrated the news by posting memes online and declaring the outcome a victory for student power. A CJP spokesperson said, "Long live student power" [2]. The movement, founded by Abhijeet Dipke, had intensified its campaign in New Delhi, primarily centering its activities at Jantar Mantar [3].

The protests began in mid-May 2026 [5]. The campaign included high-profile support from activist Sonam Wangchuk, who said, "We demand the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan" [4]. To pressure the government, Wangchuk engaged in an indefinite hunger strike, entering its third day during the height of the demonstrations [6]. Reports indicated that Wangchuk lost five kilograms during his fast [3].

Before the resignation, Dipke had publicly questioned the delay in the minister's departure. Dipke said, "Why Pradhan not sacked yet" [1]. The CJP movement maintained that the exam lapses were too severe for the minister to remain in office.

The CJP celebration followed a period of escalating tension between the student body and the education ministry. The group used social media to troll the outgoing minister, as they viewed the resignation as a direct result of their grassroots organizing and the physical toll taken by activists like Wangchuk.

“"Long live student power"”

The resignation of a Union Minister under pressure from a student-led movement suggests a shift in the political cost of exam irregularities in India. By utilizing a combination of digital trolling, hunger strikes, and physical occupation of public spaces like Jantar Mantar, the Cockroach Janata Party demonstrated that decentralized student activism can force high-level government accountability.