Dharmendra Pradhan says he sought PM’s approval

Published 8 August 2026 · local

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday (August 8, 2026) said he had personally sought permission from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to concede the demands

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday (August 8, 2026) said he had personally sought permission from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to concede the demands of the protesters led by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) recently at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The PM had agreed and also interacted with the youth, Mr. Pradhan said. Pradhan, who stepped down from the post of Education Minister following massive protests by students, claimed it was never a prestige issue for him. “The incidents that took place recently show that some people tried to mislead the Gen Z or the new generation of youths.

Who are Gen Zs? I believe they are our own. It was never a matter of personal prestige for me,” he said, addressing a gathering attended by Padma Shri awardees in Sambalpur, Odisha. “If around two crore children are born in India every year, there will be nearly 20 crore young people in the 15-25 [years] age group over a decade. They carry the responsibility of making India a ‘Vishwaguru’ and ensuring global welfare,” Mr. Pradhan said. “I come from a land where many eminent personalities have made great sacrifices, and I have inherited those values.

Holding the responsibility of Education Minister is nothing in comparison,” he said. “I met the Prime Minister and sought his permission to accept [the protesters’ demands]. The Prime Minister agreed and later interacted with the youth. Nothing is above the nation’s interest. Fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the younger generation is part of the values upheld by the great personalities from this land,” the MP from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency said. On Friday (August 7, 2026), the Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) IT Cell had posted a video on X showing a group of people protesting against Mr. Pradhan and asking him to “go back” at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.

The protesters accused Mr. Pradhan of being responsible for the deaths of 22 students, allegedly by suicides linked to irregularities in the conduct of the Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination. (Those who require assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts may contact Fortis Mental Health 24X7 helpline 8376804102.)

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