Pralhad Joshi gets Education Ministry, given additional charge after Pradhan's exit

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has been given additional charge of the Ministry of Education following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, whose exit came amid mounting pressure over the NEET-UG controversy.

President Droupadi Murmu accepted Pradhan's resignation, paving the way for the reshuffle. The former education minister stepped down after weeks of nationwide student protests and growing criticism over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination.

In his resignation letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pradhan said he was stepping aside in the interest of students and to ensure that the ongoing controversy did not escalate further.

Joshi, who represents Karnataka's Dharwad constituency in the Lok Sabha, will oversee the Education Ministry in addition to his existing responsibilities as Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.