Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down from the Council of Ministers on Saturday, accepting moral responsibility for the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG paper leak. In his resignation letter, he stated that he wished to stop the situation from being used by anti-national elements and to allow students to concentrate on their futures. He noted the steps already taken by the government, including the cancellation of the examination, a CBI investigation, and plans to shift NEET to computer-based testing from next year. The move followed weeks of protests, political pressure, and widespread public anger over alleged irregularities in the examination process.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) ended its 36-day demonstration at Jantar Mantar after three rounds of discussions with the central government. The group said the authorities had accepted two of its three main demands: the education minister’s resignation and the withdrawal of FIRs and related legal cases against the protesters. At a joint press briefing with Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, CJP representatives announced that the agitation was being withdrawn “in good faith.” They added that their demand for Rs 1 crore compensation for families of individuals who died in connection with the NEET paper leak remains unresolved and will continue to be pursued.
In a separate incident in the capital, a 20-year-old student who had recently returned from the United States died when the car he was driving overturned and fell into an open drain in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj early Friday. The young man, identified as Yashvendra, was travelling with a female friend who sustained only minor injuries. Police believe the vehicle skidded on a rain-soaked road, struck a tree, and plunged into the drain. The victim’s father serves as an Army officer posted in Kolkata. Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage and examining factors such as vehicle speed to establish the precise cause of the accident.
On the cricket field, India captain Shreyas Iyer’s record of eight consecutive T20I toss victories came to an end when Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza won the toss in the second T20I at Harare. The streak had exceeded the previous Indian mark of seven successive wins set by MS Dhoni. Zimbabwe elected to bowl first, anticipating early assistance for their seam bowlers. Iyer said India would have preferred to bat but called on his side to stay focused after their strong performance in the opening match. India leads the three-match series 1-0.
Finally, the United States has introduced a permanent additional 10 percent tariff on imports from India under a Section 301 investigation related to alleged forced labour. The measure replaces a temporary levy that expired on Friday. Although lower than an earlier proposed rate of 12.5 percent, the tariff will apply to a substantial portion of Indian exports to the US. Indian trade specialists have argued that the action lacks a solid factual foundation, pointing out that India has already tightened its Foreign Trade Policy to ban imports produced with forced labour.