Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is facing calls for resignation over NEET exam irregularities, once led a students' protest in 1997 in Odisha. Reportedly, he protested against a state-level question paper leak and led a protest of about 1,500 students. According to Prashant Rout, the Principal of RMD Degree College, Pradhan was injured in a lathi-charge.