Finance
Following Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation on Saturday, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi was assigned the additional charge of the Ministry of Education.
The development follows objections over exam paper leaks.
The President’s office announced the appointment in an official communiqué issued on Saturday.
President Droupadi Murmu, following on the suggestion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accepted Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect.
Simultaneously, the President has entrusted Union Cabinet Minister Pralhad Joshi with additional responsibility for the Ministry of Education, while retaining his current portfolio as Union Minister of Food and Consumer Affairs.
The acceptance was given pursuant to Article 75(2) of the Constitution.
Pradhan’s resignation represents a big upheaval in the Union Cabinet. He had led the Education Ministry during a period of increased student discontent caused by reported paper leaks in numerous examinations.
The protests, which gained traction in numerous parts of the country, placed the Ministry under severe public and political scrutiny.
In a joint press conference held on Saturday, Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Cockroach Janata Party leader Saurav Das asked students to end their protest and return home because the government had agreed all of their demands.
Pralhad Joshi, a senior Cabinet Minister, will now handle the Union Education Ministry in addition to his duties in the Food and Consumer Affairs portfolio.
Officials stated that the dual charge structure is aimed to ensure that the Education Ministry’s operations continue uninterrupted.
The President’s communiqué stated that the change takes effect immediately, allowing the new arrangement to go into operation right away.
The constitutional process followed the regular procedure outlined in Article 75(2), which controls ministers’ tenure and departure from the Council of Ministers.
President Murmu has confirmed Pradhan’s departure as well as the temporary arrangement under Pralhad Joshi by accepting his resignation on the Prime Minister’s advice and simultaneously assigning the additional duty.
Additional information on any long-term reform of the Education Ministry is expected to be released in due time.
Source: IANS
