The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Saturday, 25 July announced the resumption of services at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, and Central Secretariat metro stations, hours after temporarily shutting 18 stations across central Delhi in response to heightened security arrangements around student protests near Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak controversy.

Stations Reopened

'Entry gates for Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat metro stations are now open,' the DMRC said in its latest update. The partial reopening came as security agencies reassessed ground conditions following a fluid morning of demonstrations in the capital.

The three stations are among the most strategically significant on the network — Rajiv Chowk is Delhi Metro's busiest interchange, while Central Secretariat serves the government quarter and Mandi House connects key cultural and institutional zones.

Which Stations Were Shut and Why

Earlier on Saturday, the DMRC had suspended entry and exit services at 18 stations until further notice, citing security requirements linked to the ongoing protests. The affected stations included Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhambha Road, Supreme Court, Seva Teerth, Janpath, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh, Shivaji Stadium, Jhandewalan, and New Delhi metro stations.

This is not the first time the DMRC has curtailed services in response to large-scale demonstrations in the capital. Similar closures were enforced during protests in earlier years, underlining the recurring tension between public safety imperatives and commuter access in a city of over 20 million.

Pradhan Resigns as Union Education Minister

The station closures unfolded against the backdrop of a major political development: Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on the same day, citing accountability over the NEET paper leak controversy and related examination irregularities.

In his letter to the nation, Pradhan said he was 'pained by the events of the past ten days' and framed his resignation as a protective measure for students. 'Considering the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country — to prevent anti-national forces from exploiting it, preserving national unity, ensuring that not a single Indian student's future gets entangled in legal complexities, and allowing our children to devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers — I have submitted my resignation to the Prime Minister,' he said.

Pradhan thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support and reaffirmed his commitment to youth and education, describing the resignation as a matter of conscience rather than personal prestige.

The Wider Context: NEET Protests and Exam Integrity

Nationwide demonstrations have been building over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 examination, with students and opposition parties demanding accountability, a re-test, and structural reforms to India's competitive exam system. The protests at Jantar Mantar on Saturday were among the largest in the capital, drawing students from multiple states.

Critics argue that the paper leak points to systemic failures in examination administration, and that a ministerial resignation, while symbolically significant, does not by itself address the structural vulnerabilities in the National Testing Agency's (NTA) framework.

What Happens Next

The DMRC has not yet confirmed when the remaining 15 closed stations will reopen. Security deployments around Jantar Mantar and Parliament Street remain in place. Politically, the resignation of Pradhan is expected to prompt a Cabinet reshuffle, with speculation about his successor already circulating. The government faces mounting pressure to announce concrete reforms to the examination system before the next academic cycle.