Prahlad Joshi's Old Remark on NEET Resurfaces After Education Minister Appointment - Video

After Prahlad Joshi replaced Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister, his 2022 remarks on Indian students pursuing medical education abroad resurfaced on social media, drawing fresh criticism. Reacting to his appointment, several netizens and opposition leaders highlighted his statement made during the Russia-Ukraine war, when he had claimed that "90 per cent" of Indian students studying medicine abroad would not have cleared India's medical entrance examination. Congress leaders also targeted the appointment, with one describing it as "one disaster replaced by another", according to LiveMint.

Joshi had made the remarks in Belagavi, Karnataka, while addressing the evacuation of Indian students stranded in Ukraine. At the time, he said it was not appropriate to debate why students chose to study medicine abroad but maintained that most would not have qualified through Indian entrance examinations. The comments had sparked widespread outrage, particularly after an Indian medical student from Karnataka lost his life during the conflict. On Sunday, Joshi officially assumed charge as Union Education Minister, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the responsibility and saying he accepted the role with “humility and a deep sense of duty,” following Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation amid the ongoing NEET UG 2026 controversy.