Dharmendra Pradhan

Did the NEET paper crisis really warrant calling in the Air Force?

The use of military aircraft to transport examination papers has renewed debate over when civilian alternatives must first be exhausted before deploying armed forces resources

Dharmendra Pradhan reviews preparations for June 21 NEET-UG re-exam

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired a high-level review meeting on Thursday with senior officials from the Ministry of Education, state governments, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and higher education institutions to assess preparedness for the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21. The NEET-UG for admissions into medical courses took place on May 3 this year but the NTA cancelled it on May 12 amid allegations of a paper leak. The CBI is currently investigating this matter. Addressing the meeting, Pradhan emphasised the importance of maintaining the "highest standards of integrity, transparency and efficiency" in the examination process and directed all concerned authorities to remain vigilant and fully prepared for the free and fair conduct of the re-examination. The minister said officers designated by the ministry would reach all states to coordinate activities related to the re-examination process and report to the command centre headed by the NTA ...

Students, aspirants join CJP protest over exam irregularities in Lucknow

Students and government job aspirants assembled here on Friday for a protest led by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke over alleged examination irregularities, with demonstrators pressing for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Candidates preparing for teaching, medical, revenue, administrative, and other government recruitment examinations were among the protesters who gathered at the Eco Garden here since morning. The demonstration is part of a nationwide campaign launched by the CJP, which had earlier held demonstrations in Delhi and Pune. Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Babloo Kumar told PTI that the permission for the programme was granted after an application was submitted by an individual and not by any organisation. "The application was submitted by a teacher, Vivek Kumar, late Thursday evening. After completing the required procedure, permission was granted," he said. The officer said reports claiming police ha

CJP finds a crowd, but not converts yet in its first big offline test

CJP drew thousands to Jantar Mantar over exam-related concerns, but many supporters remain cautious about embracing the fledgling movement

Our agitation will continue until education minister resigns: CJP founder

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke said on Sunday his agitation over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests will not stop until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns. Dipke also said their protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Saturday was largely successful, with around 7,000 people participating in it, and added that the movement would now expand nationwide. The CJP founder reached his residence in the MIDC Waluj area in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district on Sunday morning and was welcomed by his family members. Later, speaking to reporters, Dipke said the agitation undertaken by the Cockroach Janata Party will not stop until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns. ''The protest we staged (at Jantar Mantar) was successful, as 6,000 to 7,000 people attended it. This agitation will go nationwide. We won't step back till Dharmendra Pradhan resigns,'' he asserted. "We will roll out a further action pla

Dharmendra Pradhan's continuation as Edu Min an insult to students: Cong

The Congress on Saturday said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must take responsibility for the lapses in CBSE on-screen marking (OSM), calling his continuation in office an insult to lakhs of students and their families. Pradhan's continuation in office only speaks of his desire for power, the Congress remarked and accused him of being "incompetent" in running a "compromised ministry". In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said after weeks of denying any wrongdoing and claiming that all is well with its COEMPT's On Mark portal, the CBSE has finally been forced to acknowledge COEMPT's incompetence. He cited media reports in this regard that claimed that after initial denial, the CBSE invited an ethical hacker to plug gaps in the IT system. "It began with a public acknowledgment of the data breach (months after the cybersecurity vulnerabilities were reported by 19-year-old Nisarga Adhikary), and has now become even more painfully clear, as reports emerge that

Best of BS Opinion: Can India's AI gap be a blessing in disguise?

Today's Opinion page examines AI-driven market exuberance, Dharmendra Pradhan's political prospects, the growing importance of E-E-A-T, and India's deepening urban governance challenge

Dharmendra Pradhan's political skills outshine his ministerial record

Mr Pradhan is not an especially charismatic leader or a brilliant orator. But his understanding of realpolitik and organisational dynamics makes him the ultimate party man

CBSE OSM row: Cong seeks Education Minister Pradhan's resignation

Congress intensifies its attack on the government over the CBSE OSM controversy, demanding accountability and the resignation of the education minister

NEET paper leak row: Govt may deploy IAF to ferry exam papers on June 21

Centre is considering deploying IAF to transport NEET-UG question papers on June 21 as part of enhanced security measures after the leak controversy triggered the cancellation of the earlier exam

Pradhan, Radhakrishnan review NEET-UG re-exam amid security concerns

The Education Ministry reviewed security and preparedness measures for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination amid continuing scrutiny over the integrity of the exam process

Centre ropes in IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur to help CBSE fix portal glitches

The move comes after several days of complaints over portal crashes, login failures, inaccessible links and payment errors

Govt asks social media firms to curb NEET-UG misinformation networks

The Centre has directed major social media platforms to proactively identify and remove networks spreading fake paper leak claims and unverified exam-related content

Pradhan reviews NEET-UG re-exam preparations amid security concerns

Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed NEET-UG re-exam arrangements, stressing tighter security, improved logistics, and stronger coordination with local authorities

Remove Pradhan or take responsibility: Rahul Gandhi to PM on NEET paper row

Amid the NEET paper leak row, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately sack Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan or take personal accountability, and alleged that the "BJP-RSS nexus" has destroyed India's education system. The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said the hard work of 22 lakh NEET aspirants has gone to waste. "The whole country knows that two days before NEET, its question paper was being distributed on WhatsApp. Dharmendra Pradhan ji says he has nothing to do with the matter. The (Parliamentary) Committee had made recommendations but he put it in the dustbin on the pretext that opposition people were on the committee and that it was of no use," Gandhi said in a video statement. "The truth is that you (government) have damaged the core of India. This is a nexus of the RSS, the BJP and their people that have been installed in universities, vice chancellors and professors, to mint money," the former Congress

Neet (UG) to be computer-based from 2027: Education minister Pradhan

The Centre announced a June 21 retest for NEET-UG 2026 and said the medical entrance examination will shift to a computer-based format from next year

NEET UG to be computer based from next year, says govt after paper leak row

Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Friday that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) will be conducted in a computer-based format starting next year.

Govt plans computer-based NEET paper amid exam malpractice concerns

The Centre said the NEET examination will shift to a computer-based format from next year as it intensifies efforts to curb malpractices and strengthen exam processes

NEET-UG re-exam: High-level meeting held at Dharmendra Pradhan's residence

A high-level meeting was held at the residence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to review preparations for the fresh conduct of NEET (UG) examination, official sources said. Held late on Thursday evening, the meeting involved detailed discussions on various aspects related to the conduct of the medical entrance exam, they said. The meeting was attended by Secretary (Higher Education) Vineet Joshi, Secretary (School Education) Sanjay Kumar, Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA) Abhishek Singh, CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh, and the commissioners of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), along with other senior officials. This comes after the NTA on Tuesday announced the cancellation of the May 3 examination following allegations of irregularities linked to the test. The cancellation of the exam has left over 22 lakh medical aspirants in a state of uncertainty. The fresh dates have not yet been announced. However, NTA

Pradhan calls for greater industry role in schools, skilling and R&D

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged industry leaders to support government schools, expand vocational learning, and invest more in research and innovation under the National Education Policy