New Delhi : As demands for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the latest examination controversy dominate protests and social media, an episode from nearly three decades ago has resurfaced online. Viral posts claim that Pradhan himself took part in a protest against an alleged question paper leak in Odisha in 1997, drawing comparisons between his past as a student activist and his present role in overseeing India’s education system.
The claim is not entirely new. It appears in a 2021 article published by The New Indian Express, which quotes one of Pradhan’s former associates recalling a 1997 protest outside the Odisha Secretariat over an alleged paper leak, during which Pradhan was reportedly injured in a police lathi charge.
However, India Today Digital has not independently verified the incident through contemporaneous records.
The year 1997 was when the newly formed Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was trying to prove its majority in the Parliament. Around the same time, a question paper leak had surfaced in Odisha. Dharmendra Pradhan was then the National Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and on the verge of joining the BJP.
It is claimed that Pradhan led a protest of 1500 students against the then state government of Indian National Congress. During the agitation, he was allegedly beaten by the police and suffered multiple fractures.
The internet is now flooded with posts highlighting Dharmendra Pradhan’s courageous acts as a young student leader.
While many users have praised his activism and leadership during the 1997 paper leak protest, others are questioning why, as the current Union Education Minister, he has been unable to effectively curb the recurring problem of paper leaks
PRADHAN’S EARLY POLITICAL IDENTITY
The article published in 2021 stated that the ABVP-led protest against the Odisha government was orchestrated by Pradhan in front of the state secretariat. According to the report, even though the protest turned violent after a police lathi-charge, during which Pradhan sustained injuries, that did not deter him. Pradhan continued his fight against the paper leak.
The incident later established him as one of the prominent student leaders in the state. Pradhan first entered student activism at the age of 18, marking the beginning of his political journey.
As a student of Utkal University, Pradhan remained actively involved in student politics, according to the report. Pradhan served as the National Secretary of ABVP twice during a three-year period between November 1994 and 1997.
STUDENT POLITICS AND RISE WITHIN ABVP
Pradhan’s proactive role during the agitation and the resilience he displayed earned him recognition within the student movement. His consistent participation in protests in the 90s and his approach of putting public issues ahead of personal interests helped shape his political identity.
His political journey reflects decades of work as a student activist, organisational leader, and public representative.
His organisational approach was aimed at strengthening the BJP’s grassroots cadre in Odisha. The BJP formed its government in Odisha for the first time in 2024, ending the more than two-decade rule of Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
Political observers have often credited Pradhan as one of the key leaders who contributed significantly to expanding the BJP’s organisational presence in the state over the years.
PRADHAN NOW IN THE MIDST OF A NEET POTBOILER
As the Union Education Minister, a post that he took over from Nishank Pokhriyal in 2021, Pradhan has had to face umpteen challenges. From exam paper leaks to issues with the Central Board of Secondary Education in India, he has had to face the ire of the media on many occasions.
Over 90 paper leak incidents have been reported across the country in the past eight years, raising serious questions about the education system itself. And Pradhan sits right in the middle of it.
The ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi has seen a massive turnout of student protestors, political leaders, celebrities from all walks of life, parents, and other stakeholders, who are demanding accountability from the education minister. They are asking for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation owing to the NEET paper leak in 2026.
