From leading a paper leak protest to facing one as Education Minister

From leading a paper leak protest to facing one as Education Minister

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Jul 23, 2026: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has come under renewed public scrutiny amid the ongoing controversy over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, with reports resurfacing about his role in leading a student agitation against a question paper leak nearly three decades ago.

According to a 2021 newspaper report, Pradhan, then a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), led a protest involving around 1,500 students in Bhubaneswar in 1997 against an alleged question paper leak during the Congress government headed by then Odisha Chief Minister Janaki Ballabh Patnaik.

Student leader during college years

Pradhan entered student politics at the age of 18 and emerged as an active organiser of the ABVP, the student wing affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

He studied Anthropology at Utkal University and served two terms as ABVP’s national secretary between November 1994 and 1997. At the time of the 1997 protest, he was serving as the organisation’s national secretary. He later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and went on to hold several key organisational positions.

Police action during the 1997 protest

The report quoted Prashant Raut, now Principal of RMD Degree College in Bhubaneswar and Pradhan’s junior at Utkal University, recalling the protest.

According to Raut, nearly 1,500 students gathered to protest against the Odisha government over the alleged paper leak. He claimed the demonstration remained peaceful until police allegedly resorted to a lathi charge, during which Pradhan sustained serious injuries.

Raut also alleged that campus politics at the time was often marked by violence. He claimed that during a student election, when Pradhan appeared set to win, individuals allegedly associated with the Janata Dal attacked him.

"He is alive today only because of luck," Raut was quoted as saying while recalling the incident.

Rise in the BJP

Pradhan’s political career evolved from student activism to becoming one of the BJP’s key organisers in Odisha. Before assuming office as Union Education Minister in 2021, he served as Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and also handled the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship portfolio.

Political observers have credited him with playing a major role in strengthening the BJP’s organisational base in Odisha over two decades. The party went on to form its first government in the state after defeating the long-ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the 2024 Assembly elections.

Past returns to focus amid NEET controversy

The 1997 protest has once again become a subject of public discussion amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, with Pradhan now serving as the Union Education Minister.

Thousands of students have been protesting in New Delhi over the issue. The demonstrations have witnessed police action, including lathi charges and the use of tear gas, with several protesters reportedly requiring medical treatment. The controversy has also triggered a political confrontation between the BJP-led Central government and the Opposition.

Government’s response

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the setting up of fast-track courts to ensure speedy trials in paper leak cases, stating that safeguarding students’ futures remains the government’s priority.

Union Health Minister and senior BJP leader J.P. Nadda has said the government is ready for a discussion on the issue and has "nothing to hide." Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has also reiterated that the government has been prepared for a discussion since the beginning of the Monsoon Session.

Debate on social media

The resurfacing of Pradhan’s role in leading the 1997 paper leak protest has sparked widespread discussion on social media. Many users have drawn comparisons between his stance as a student leader and his current position as Union Education Minister, with opinions ranging from criticism to support, reflecting the broader political divide over the issue.