4 min readMumbai, New DelhiJul 26, 2026 04:45 AM IST First published on: Jul 26, 2026 at 04:45 AM ISTTILL JUST about 48 hours ago, the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan was not on the radar, according to top sources in the Bharatiya Janata Party and the government.But the assessment on three specific aspects seem to have prompted the action. One, the protests gained further momentum in Delhi despite police action, and spread across many cities. Two, the government’s actions — fast track courts, shifting of higher education secretary, a Bill with harsh measures to present paper leaks, and sacking of 47 NTA officials — did not cut ice with protesters. Three, concerns that a prolonged confrontation could wash out the entire monsoon session of Parliament, jeopardising the political capital the government had spent building support for contentious measures such as delimitation and the Women’s Reservation Bill.AdvertisementAt the beginning of the week on Monday, a day after activist Sonam Wangchuk was removed from Jantar Mantar and admitted to hospital, the assessment within the government was that protests would eventually lose steam. NEET as well as other major entrance examinations over and the academic calendar was largely on track.This assessment changed dramatically over the last 48 hours.Since Thursday, the Prime Minister has been in direct control signalling his intent to address every concern of the youth, said a BJP Member of Parliament. His personal appeals over the last couple of days were continuously gauged to see if they resonated among students.During this period too, not only did the crowds at Jantar Mantar continue to swell, smaller protests broke out across many state capitals and other big cities. In Mumbai, for instance, despite prohibitory orders and FIRs naming nearly 300 protesters, the turnout at each successive demonstration grew larger.AdvertisementAll incremental measures to contain the fallout including the harsh Bill cleared by Cabinet to punish those indulging in paper leaks, did not seem to ease the protests, sources in the government said.The government first offered a discussion in Parliament, then transferred Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, and later announced the removal of five NTA officials while promising a wider overhaul of the examination body. When none of these steps eased the protests, the government concluded that a bigger political signal was needed.“It seemed the sentiment with regard to the Education Minister was not turning positive even after the draft of the new proposed law was cleared by the Cabinet. Then, there weren’t many choices,” another senior source in the BJP said.The speed with which the decision was taken, sources said, was reflected in Pradhan’s own schedule. As late as Friday evening, he attended a briefing to prepare for Parliament questions relating to his ministry. “If he knew he was no longer going to be the minister, would he have sat through a detailed briefing on answering questions?” said a source familiar with the meeting. There was “absolutely no indication” at the time that a resignation was imminent, the source said.you may likeThe party and the government continued to argue all along in public that the demand for Pradhan’s resignation was political. Party leaders were also apprehensive it would come across as a moral victory to the opposition, especially Rahul Gandhi.But slowly the mood was changing within the party. At least two Cabinet ministers The Indian Express spoke with said that Pradhan may have to forego his education portfolio. Some leaders in the state too said his continuation was “untenable”. “Both the government and the BJP could not afford to antagonise the youth and women,” said a senior party leader.But, given the rapid scale-up of the protest, and the Cockroach Janata Party’s intention to call for a larger national protest if demands are not met, there were concerns things may go out of hand.