Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday officially began work as India's new Education Minister, less than 24 hours after being assigned the additional charge of the ministry following Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation amid the NEET-UG controversy.
Joshi visited Shastri Bhavan in New Delhi, where he held his first meeting with senior officials of the Education Ministry. Sharing photographs from the meeting on social media, he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for entrusting him with the responsibility and pledged to discharge his duties with commitment and humility.
"Today, I assumed charge as the Union Minister of Education. I am grateful to the Prime Minister for reposing faith in me and entrusting me with this responsibility. I accept this responsibility with a deep sense of duty and humility," Joshi said in a post, which he shared in both English and Kannada.
Joshi had also expressed gratitude soon after the government announced his appointment on Saturday.
"I am grateful to the Prime Minister. I will strive to fulfil his expectations and discharge my responsibilities with dedication," he had said.
Joshi's appointment comes in the wake of sustained nationwide protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, during which student groups and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) repeatedly demanded Pradhan's resignation, arguing that the Education Minister should take responsibility for the alleged irregularities in the examination system.
The demand was also backed by activist Sonam Wangchuk, who staged a hunger strike in support of students. Even after Wangchuk ended his fast, the CJP continued its agitation and warned of intensifying protests, including a march to Parliament, if Pradhan did not step down.
Ahead of the Centre's third round of talks with CJP leaders on Friday, Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Modi. President Droupadi Murmu accepted his resignation, following which the government announced that Joshi would take additional charge of the Education Ministry while retaining his existing portfolios.
Even before Pradhan's exit, the Centre had announced a series of measures aimed at restoring confidence in the examination system. The government dismissed 47 National Testing Agency (NTA) officials over alleged irregularities linked to NEET, approved the draft of a stricter anti-paper leak law, and announced plans to establish fast-track courts to ensure speedy trials in examination-related offences.
With his first official review meeting now complete, Joshi faces the immediate challenge of rebuilding public trust in India's education system and ensuring greater transparency and credibility in the conduct of competitive examinations.
