As the Cockroach Janata Party-led movement against paper leaks snowballed into a major protest with thousands gathering at Jantar Mantar, the government on Wednesday signalled flexibility on all counts except one — the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.Top government functionaries signalled that Pradhan was likely to stay as the NEET (UG)-2026 paper leak was not his fault and the government had responded actively by successfully conducting a retest and declaring the results on time.Health Minister JP Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s principal interlocutor amid the students’ agitation, articulated the official position on the developments today, saying the government was ready to debate the paper leak issue in Parliament.Earlier, Nadda sent out a message to CJP leaders for another meeting, besides engaging Sonam Wangchuk on his demands to end the fast that entered the 24th day.Asked if Pradhan’s resignation was discussed in the government, Nadda stayed non-committal.“We have said we will respond to everything during the debate in Parliament,” he said, even as Pradhan went about business as usual and chaired a state school education ministers’ meeting in the Capital this evening.Though nothing came of the government’s offer of a debate in Parliament, with the Congress insisting on Pradhan’s ouster first, positive signs emerged on the front of Wangchuk whom Nadda and the MoS, PMO, Jitendra Singh, met at the Medanta hospital late last night.The activist today wrote back to Nadda, saying he would end his fast if the government assured him that the protesters won’t face punitive legal action for participating in the movement.Importantly, Wangchuk also climbed down from his earlier rigid call to sack Pradhan and said in his letter to Nadda that he had been assured by the ministers of “adequate compensation for the families of students who died by suicide after the NEET paper leak and a meaningful discussion in Parliament to ensure accountability, including consideration of the resignation of the Education Minister”.Wangchuk also softened his stance after nearly 100 MPs met him at Medanta today asking him to end his fast.“I want to live but I cannot do so at the cost of the very young people for whom this movement began,” the activist said.On the other end, CJP leaders said they would meet Nadda only at a neutral location.Inside Parliament, both Houses remained dysfunctional as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, insisted on two things to start the debate on the paper leak — resignation of Pradhan and discussions under Rule 267 that flags rarest of the rare cases.With no meeting ground in sight, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Nadda accused the Congress of changing the goalpost.Like the Rajya Sabha, the Lok Sabha also saw disruptions, as the Congress and the government sparred over rules and conditions for the paper leak debate.Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the police assault on students was the main issue of debate and not the resignation of Pradhan, which could be sought outside Parliament also.The future course of talks and parliamentary function will depend on the Opposition stance on the NEET (UG) paper leak debate, with the government today making it clear that the ball was in the Opposition’s court.“The Opposition can decide how much time it wants for the debate and the rules will be decided by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Parliament is the best forum to debate this very serious matter and draft a permanent solution. This is not a time for finger pointing. This is a time to come out with policy solutions to secure the future of the youth. The Congress should stop politicising the matter,” Nadda said, listing the many paper leaks that had happened under the Congress and other INDIA bloc party-led states.