Kangana Ranaut backs PM Modi on NEET-UG reform after Pradhan exit
Synopsis
Days after Delhi Police’s crackdown on NEET-UG protesters forced Dharmendra Pradhan out of the Education Ministry, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut stepped outside Parliament to defend PM Modi’s record—and take a swipe at Rahul Gandhi. With Pralhad Joshi now at the helm and a high-powered committee promised, the real question is whether structural exam reform will follow the political reshuffle.
Key Takeaways
Kangana Ranaut praised PM Modi outside Parliament on 27 July for his handling of the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak crisis.
She highlighted the formation of a high-powered committee and an examination amendment bill as evidence of the government’s commitment.
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on Saturday following sustained student protests at Jantar Mantar .
Delhi Police cracked down on protesters at Jantar Mantar on 20 July , intensifying public anger and spreading demonstrations to cities and towns nationwide.
Pralhad Joshi has been appointed as the new Union Education Minister in Pradhan’s place.
Bollywood actress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kangana Ranaut on Monday, 27 July praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his response to the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, speaking to reporters outside Parliament. Her remarks came days after Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down as Union Minister of Education amid sustained student protests over exam irregularities.
What Kangana Said
Addressing the media, Ranaut credited Modi with setting a global standard for leadership. “Our Prime Minister has set an example for the whole world. He is a great leader who is dedicated to every small and big issue,” she said. She pointed specifically to the formation of a high-powered committee to overhaul the examination system. “Now a high-powered committee has been formed for this, it will work for the examination and make it corruption-proof. Even if this bill has come immediately, the amendment bill for examination, this is the commitment of the Prime Minister,” Ranaut added.
A Dig at the Opposition
Ranaut also took aim at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, drawing a comparison between current education spending and that of the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. “Rahul Gandhi is seeing what used to happen in the time of UPA, what was the budget. This budget of education is more than the education budget during the time of UPA,” she said. The remarks were seen as a pointed response to the Congress’s sustained criticism of the government over the paper leak crisis.
Background: Pradhan’s Resignation and the Protests
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday following weeks of large-scale student demonstrations centred at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The protests, initially triggered by alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination, escalated sharply after Delhi Police cracked down on demonstrators at Jantar Mantar on 20 July. The crackdown drew widespread criticism and drew more citizens into the streets in solidarity with the students.
Pradhan has been replaced by Pralhad Joshi as the new Union Education Minister. The protests, which began in Delhi, subsequently spread to other metro cities and eventually to smaller towns across the country.
What Comes Next
The government’s stated response includes a high-powered committee to make the examination framework ‘corruption-proof’ and a proposed amendment bill for examinations. Whether these measures will satisfy student groups—who have demanded accountability beyond a ministerial resignation—remains to be seen. The appointment of Joshi and the committee’s mandate will be closely watched in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
Combined with a police crackdown that drew nationwide outrage, are not easily repackaged as governance success. The high-powered committee and the amendment bill are promises, not outcomes; student groups who have been on the streets for weeks are unlikely to stand down on the strength of a committee notification. The real test for the new Education Minister, Pralhad Joshi, is whether the reform architecture that follows is substantive enough to restore institutional credibility to India’s high-stakes examination system—or whether it becomes another procedural response to a structural problem.
NationPress
27 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Dharmendra Pradhan resign as Education Minister?
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following weeks of large-scale student protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination, including a paper leak. His resignation came after Delhi Police’s crackdown on protesters at Jantar Mantar on 20 July intensified public pressure.
Who has replaced Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister?
Pralhad Joshi has been appointed as the new Union Education Minister following Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET-UG 2026 controversy.
What did Kangana Ranaut say about PM Modi and the NEET-UG crisis?
Speaking outside Parliament on 27 July, Kangana Ranaut praised PM Modi as a leader ‘dedicated to every small and big issue’ and highlighted the formation of a high-powered committee and an examination amendment bill as evidence of his commitment to making the exam system corruption-proof.
What is the high-powered committee announced in response to the NEET-UG paper leak?
The government announced the formation of a high-powered committee tasked with reforming the examination framework and making it corruption-proof. An amendment bill for examinations has also reportedly been introduced, though full details of the committee’s mandate are yet to be made public.
How did the NEET-UG 2026 protests unfold?
Protests began at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi over alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak irregularities. They escalated after Delhi Police cracked down on demonstrators on 20 July, drawing wider public support and spreading from Delhi to metro cities and smaller towns across India.
