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Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union education minister following the massive countrywide movement of the youth, led by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), demanding his removal from the Union cabinet after NEET-UG examination paper leak is a triumph of the ideal of accountability of the government to the people and the legislature.

Pradhan who admitted in his resignation letter that he took responsibility for the paper leak and never turned his back on the situation remained supremely indifferent to all the attempts to hold him accountable till the unprecedented mass upsurge against him for destroying the quality of education and causing havoc to the integrity of examination forced him to resign.

Ambedkar on accountability

In a parliamentary democracy, as Ambedkar said in his speech on November 4, 1948 in the Constituent Assembly, the government would remain responsible to people and parliament and so parliamentary system of governance was preferred by the Constituent Assembly in contrast to the presidential system which is anchored in more stability instead of responsibility. So, Pradhan not remaining accountable and refusing to follow that vision of Ambedkar was trampling upon the very constitution to which he owes allegiance as per the oath he took while assuming office as the Union minister.

Pradhan’s contempt for opposition

The accountability of the government or the minister to people and parliament means that the government formed by the ruling party and its members, forming the cabinet, must remain respectful to the opposition which is integral to parliamentary democracy.

But look at Pradhan’s attitude to the opposition and bipartisan Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education........

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