New Delhi, July 26: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday assumed charge as the Union Education Minister, a day after President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan and assigned him the additional responsibility of the ministry.
Taking charge, Joshi said education was “a new subject” for him and that he was reviewing the ministry’s functioning before making any detailed remarks on policy matters.
“The Prime Minister has entrusted me with this responsibility with full confidence. I have taken charge today and held detailed discussions with the senior officers. This is a new subject for me,” Joshi told reporters after assuming office.
He said he had begun reviewing the ministry’s operations and key decisions while holding a series of meetings with senior officials to understand the functioning of the department.
“It is a very big department, so I will speak to you in detail after I have understood it completely,” he said.
Soon after assuming office, Joshi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X for entrusting him with the Education Ministry.
“Today, I assumed charge as the Union Minister for Education. I am grateful to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji for placing his faith in me and entrusting me with this responsibility,” he wrote, adding, “I accept it with humility and a deep sense of duty.”
According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement, President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan with immediate effect on the advice of the Prime Minister. The President also directed that Joshi be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Education in addition to his existing portfolios.
Joshi will continue to serve as the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy while overseeing the Education Ministry.
The leadership change comes against the backdrop of nationwide student protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET paper leak, with students demanding greater transparency, accountability and reforms in the examination system.
Dharmendra Pradhan, who stepped down on Saturday, said he had resigned “in the interest of students” and to ensure that the ongoing protests over examination irregularities were not exploited by “anti-national forces.”
Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) announced the withdrawal of its 36-day-long protest at Jantar Mantar, stating that it had received government assurances on its remaining demands following Pradhan’s resignation.
