The Delhi High Court questioned the actions of the Election Commission (EC) on Friday regarding the involvement of school teachers as Booth Level Officers (BLO) for conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in the nation's capital. The court demanded clarification on the legal basis compelling teachers to perform electoral duties.
During the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the appointment of teachers from government, municipal, and state educational institutions to BLO positions and for SIR tasks, the collegium bench, comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tejash Karri, sought explanations from the election body regarding the legal foundation of its decision.
The judicial bench expressed doubts about the commission relying on Article 324 of the Constitution. The Chief Justice stated, quoting ANI: 'Are you doing whatever you want under the guise of Article 324?' The court also questioned the Commission's assertion that teachers are working as 'volunteers,' noting that those who refuse electoral duties may face disciplinary action.
Advocate Sanjay Vaishhta, representing the EC, argued that the Special Intensive Revision process in Delhi is nearing completion, and that ultimately only about 10–14 percent of teachers were involved in the voter list revision work. He presented the argument that the commission has the authority to demand personnel according to Section 13B(2) of the Representation of the People Act, and that such powers are being used sparingly. Vaishhta also reported that teachers are assigned BLO duties only during holidays and extracurricular time, in accordance with commission directives.
Nevertheless, the court collegium questioned why teachers should sacrifice their weekends for election work. The court asked: 'Is your allowance or compensation not interesting to someone. Can these instructions issued by you be considered mandatory? Can you say no, no, no, we compensate, please come. Destroying their weekends? Don't they need rest?' The hearing took place several days after the Directorate of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Delhi issued a circular on July 23, directing district election bodies to ensure that teachers' academic duties are not affected during the SIR.
Despite a modest presence in Parliament and weakness at the local level, left parties managed to achieve significant results by utilizing their student organizations, such as AISA, SFI, and AISF. These groups, which have active units in Delhi, pressured the government to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Members of AISA, including President Nehu Boru, Manish Kumar, and Amin Amitoj, conducted a 23-day hunger strike in solidarity with students, even though they previously had no ties with Abhijit Dipke. The victory of these student associations, which found common ground with a segment of Generation Z usually unreceptive to the concept of 'class war,' may serve as a form of compensation for the Left in an election period marked by defeats in Kerala and West Bengal.
Previously, demonstrating tactical awareness, the Left, through its farmer wings, influenced the protests in Punjab against the agricultural reform laws passed by the Modi government, leading to the repeal of these laws. Although AISA, SFI, and AISF actively participated in the protests, their parent organizations—CPI(ML), CPM, and CPI—strengthened grassroots efforts, encouraging the opposition to support the protests led by CJP.
According to Left functionaries who participated in the demonstrations, when student groups supporting the Left joined the student protest led by CJP, they were organically integrated into the movement and not perceived as people seeking recognition. These students raised issues regarding the shortcomings of the examination system and problems through their unions. All 15 Left MPs joined the students to protest police action against them during the Parliament march on July 20, ensuring that the demand for Pradhan's resignation was not weakened.
CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya noted that the success of the protests gave the Left momentum. He stated that 'this movement has given new energy to ongoing struggles across the country for democracy, justice, and the protection of the Constitution' and called on the INDIA bloc to transfer the energy, resolve, and democratic spirit of this movement into Parliament to strengthen the fight for accessible and quality education for all. CPM General Secretary M A Bai emphasized that Pradhan's resignation was only the first step. CPM congratulated Abhijit Dipke, CJP, SFI, AISF, AISA, and hundreds of students and youth for their courage and determination in achieving this historic victory, and demanded comprehensive reforms: 'Abolish NTA! Restore NEP!' CPI General Secretary D Raja stated that this is a rare moment of democratic accountability, achieved not through the goodwill of a haughty government, but through the constant struggle of students and youth across the country, and that the student movement has triumphed over the arrogance of the BJP, forcing the Modi-Shah regime to answer for its failures.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah reacted to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday, stating that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) considers the country, its youth, and students more significant than any position held. He also affirmed the Modi government's commitment to implementing reforms aimed at combating the leakage of examination materials.
In his post on social media platform X, Shah noted: 'For BJP workers, the country, our youth, and students are far more important than any position. Today, the resignation of Union Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan from his post illustrates exactly this principle.' He added that the government respects the feelings of students and remains focused on introducing measures to prevent test leaks, expressing confidence that those responsible will be punished and justice restored for NEET aspirants.
Shah also highlighted Pradhan's tenure as Education Minister, noting his contribution to advancing several important educational initiatives. These include the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), expanding examinations in regional languages, developing PM SHRI schools, digitalizing education, enhancing qualifications, and fostering collaboration between industry and academia.
He stated that during his time in office, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan achieved substantial transformations in the effective implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), the organization of examinations in regional languages, the expansion of PM SHRI schools, the promotion of digital education, skill development, and strengthening interaction between industry and academia. His efforts to create a more inclusive and student-centric examination system were also noted. His tenure is a testament to his dedication to transforming India into a developed nation.
Pradhan resigned on Saturday amid nationwide protests related to the alleged leak of NEET-UG examination materials. A few hours later, senior BJP leader Pralad Joshi received an additional assignment in the Ministry of Education. Furthermore, the Centre reached an agreement with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), leading to the cessation of their 36-day protests outside the Jantral Mantar in Delhi.
Dhandendra Pradhan, who left his post as Union Minister of Education on Saturday after five years in office, left behind an education system that became more standardized, digitized, and centrally regulated compared to before. However, this system also raised questions regarding the reliability of exams, institutional autonomy, data privacy, and the Central government's ability to implement reforms of such a large scale.
Pradhan, who held the position of Education Minister longer than anyone else in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, oversaw this portfolio from July 7, 2021, to July 25, 2026. Before 2024, he was also responsible for skill development and entrepreneurship. His work was aimed not so much at announcing a new education policy—since the National Education Policy was approved in 2020—as it was at creating the necessary infrastructure for its practical application.
A central theme of his tenure was the standardization and portability of educational materials: the introduction of common entrance exams, the possibility of transferring academic credits, permanent student identification numbers, comparable assessment standards, and attempts to create a unified higher education regulator.
The Common University Entrance Test, introduced in 2022, was intended to replace various XII-grade cutoff scores with a single platform for admission to central universities. It also significantly expanded the powers of the National Testing Agency, whose work and reliability later became one of the most serious problems during Pradhan's leadership.
The National Credit System, Academic Bank of Credits, and four-year undergraduate programs were designed so that students could accumulate and transfer credits, take interdisciplinary courses, and enter or leave programs without losing their academic history. The APAAR system, conceived as a permanent academic identification for every student, aimed to link school, university, and professional qualifications through DigiLocker and the credit bank. Although the goal was to facilitate mobility, it raised concerns about consent and child data protection.
In school education, the ministry released curriculum frameworks for the foundational stage and general education, implementing the NEP 5+3+3+4 structure. The PM SHRI project was launched to modernize over 14,500 existing government schools as models for NEP implementation, and PARAKH was established to develop common assessment standards and improve comparability between school boards.
Other major measures included the National Research Fund Anusandhan, the 'One Nation—One Subscription' subscription for access to scientific journals, funding PM-USHA for state universities, allowing foreign universities to open campuses in India, and establishing IIT branches abroad. Pradhan also promoted textbooks in Indian languages, interdisciplinary education, integration of vocational training, and apprenticeship programs by leveraging the intersection of his portfolios in education and skill development.
The proposed replacement of UGC, AICTE, and NCTE with a single regulatory architecture was never completed. Furthermore, implementation faced resistance from some states regarding language, curriculum, and centrally sponsored programs.
Ultimately, the most obvious contradiction of the Pradhan era lay in national assessment. While common exams were supposed to ensure fairness and uniformity, leaks of examination materials, cancellations, and administrative glitches cast doubt on whether centralization had outpaced institutional capacity.
