‘I accept it humbly’: Pralhad Joshi sworn in as federal education minister

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

The Ministry of Education has a new face. The day after President Droupadi Murmu accepted his resignation Dharmendra PradhanSenior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pralhad Joshi formally assumed office as the Union Education Minister on Sunday.His appointment comes as the Department of Education faces scrutiny over alleged irregularities in competitive exams and as student demands for greater transparency and reform of the exam system grow.Joshi, who heads the ministry, thanked Prime Minister Modi for entrusting him with this responsibility.“Today, I assume the charge of Union Education Minister. I am grateful to the honorable Prime Minister @narendramodi ji for reposing confidence in me and entrusting me with this responsibility,” he said in a post on X.

“I accept it with humility and a strong sense of responsibility,” he added.

Appointed after Pradhan resigned

The leadership change was announced on Saturday after Rashtrapati Bhavan announced that President Dupadi Murmu had accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect.According to an official statement, Joshi has been appointed to head the education department in addition to the portfolio he already holds.A statement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said: “On the advice of the Prime Minister of India, the President of India has accepted the resignation of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect in accordance with Article 75(2) of the Constitution of India. Further, on the advice of the Prime Minister, the President has directed Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi to designate the Ministry of Education in addition to his existing portfolio in the Ministry of Education.”Joshi will continue to serve as Federal Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Federal Minister for New and Renewable Energy. He is also the Lok Sabha member from Dharwad constituency in Karnataka. In the previous government, he was responsible for the ministries of coal, mining and parliamentary affairs.

Leadership changes after weeks of protests

The reshuffle comes after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the cabinet following weeks of protests over alleged exam irregularities.Announcing his resignation, Pradhan said he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the interest of students and to ensure that the ongoing protests were not misused by “anti-national forces”.The protests have seen students take to the streets in several parts of the country, demanding accountability, greater transparency and reforms to competitive exams.

CJP withdraws Jantar Mantar protest

Following the leadership change, there have been significant developments on the Delhi protest scene.The Cockroach Jantar Party (CJP), which has been conducting a sit-in at Jantar Mantar for 37 days, announced it was withdrawing its agitation “in good faith” after Pradhan resigned from the Council of Ministers.The agency said it also received assurances from the government on its other requirements.While the protests have now ended, many of the issues raised by students, including exam reform and restoring confidence in the system, remain to be addressed by the Department of Education.(Institutional investment)