A large crowd welcomed former Union Education Minister and BJP MP Dharmendra Pradhan at the Bhubaneswar Airport here on Tuesday. Pradhan resigned from the post of Union Education Minister on July 25. Earlier on July 25, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the Union Council of Ministers amid nationwide protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. Pradhan stated that he was stepping down in the larger interest of students to ensure that the country’s youth do not become “trapped in a web of confusion.”In his resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pradhan highlighted his long-standing association with education and reaffirmed his commitment to the aspirations of India’s youth. “For more than four decades, I have been associated with students, teachers, and the cause of education reform. I have always believed that a strong, inclusive, and forward-looking education system is the foundation of a strong nation,” Pradhan said. Recalling the NEET-UG controversy, Pradhan stated that the Centre acted promptly after irregularities surfaced in the May 3 examination. “However, irregularities were found in …