India Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns Amid Jantar Mantar Protests

Mass protests centered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, including a hunger strike and clashes with police, forced the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. It marks the first resignation of a sitting Indian minister in more than a decade and reflects growing dissent among urban youth over perceived policy failures.

In the wake of Pradhan's departure, a new online campaign called “Reservation Hatao Andolan” surged, claiming millions of followers. The movement argues that caste‑based reservations should be replaced by economic‑status criteria, a stance that critics say ignores the social exclusion purpose of India's reservation system. The campaign’s rapid rise highlights the politicised debate over affirmative‑action policies following the ministerial shake‑up.