Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, 25 July 2026, welcomed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, calling it 'a very big step towards rebuilding our education system' and congratulating students across the country for their sustained street protests.

Context

Posting on X, Gandhi praised students who took to the streets, writing — 'सड़कों पर आ कर लोकतंत्र, संविधान और अपने भविष्य की रक्षा में डट कर खड़े होने वाले हर एक युवा' ['every young person who stood firm on the streets to defend democracy, the Constitution and their future'] — and said the country was proud of them. He framed Pradhan's exit as a direct result of student-led democratic pressure rather than a routine cabinet reshuffle.

Gandhi, however, was quick to note that the protest movement's work is not finished. 'Two demands still remain,' he said, calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally apologise to students and to take action against those responsible for violence on protesters.

Policy Backdrop

Dharmendra Pradhan had served as Union Minister of Education overseeing the rollout of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which restructured India's education system from early childhood through higher education. The NEP replaced a policy dating to 1986 and introduced sweeping changes to school structure, vocational training and higher education regulation.

Student unrest around national examinations — particularly over allegations of paper leaks and administrative failures linked to NEET and other competitive tests — had already triggered large-scale protests in 2024, building a pattern of youth mobilisation centred on exam integrity and ministerial accountability. Congress and other opposition parties had repeatedly demanded accountability from the Education Ministry over those controversies.

Stakeholders and Impact

Gandhi explicitly broadened the message beyond students, addressing farmers, labourers and the poor — groups he said the government had 'suppressed and crushed' — urging them to 'stand firm constitutionally for their dignity.' The statement signals Congress's intent to stitch together multiple strands of anti-government sentiment ahead of any future electoral contest.

The call to action — 'डरो मत!' ['Do not be afraid!'] — echoed language Gandhi has used in earlier mobilisations, including during the farm-law protests. By linking student grievances to wider social discontent, the party is reinforcing a narrative of constitutional defence that has been central to its opposition strategy since 2021.

What's Next

With the resignation accepted, attention will shift to who succeeds Pradhan at the Education Ministry and whether the new minister moves quickly to address pending student demands. Gandhi's two outstanding demands — a prime ministerial apology and punitive action against those who allegedly used violence on protesters — are likely to be raised in Parliament and will test the government's willingness to engage with the protest movement's remaining agenda.

Congress's framing that 'the time has come to remove this government' signals that the party intends to convert the education crisis into a sustained political campaign, keeping student mobilisation at the centre of its opposition narrative in the months ahead.