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Dharmendra Pradhan
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Dharmendra Pradhan | |
|---|---|
 Pradhan in 2026 | |
| Union Minister of Education | |
| In office 7 July 2021 – 25 July 2026 | |
| President | Ramnath Kovind Droupadi Murmu |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Ramesh Pokhriyal |
| Succeeded by | Pralhad Joshi (additional charge) [1] |
| Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship | |
| In office 3 September 2017 – 9 June 2024 | |
| President | Ramnath Kovind Droupadi Murmu |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Rajiv Pratap Rudy |
| Succeeded by | Jayant Chaudhary (as MoS I/C) |
| Union Minister of Steel | |
| In office 30 May 2019 – 7 July 2021 | |
| President | Ramnath Kovind |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Chaudhary Birender Singh |
| Succeeded by | Ramchandra Prasad Singh |
| Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas | |
| In office 26 May 2014 – 7 July 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Veerappa Moily |
| Succeeded by | Hardeep Singh Puri |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| Assumed office 4 June 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Nitesh Ganga Deb |
| Constituency | Sambalpur, Odisha |
| In office 2004 - 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Debendra Pradhan |
| Constituency | Deogarh, Odisha |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 4 April 2018 – 3 April 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Prakash Javadekar |
| Constituency | Madhya Pradesh |
| In office 3 April 2012 – 2 April 2018 | |
| Succeeded by | Manoj Jha |
| Constituency | Bihar |
| Member of Odisha Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 5 March 2000 – 15 May 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Bibhudhendra Pratap Das (INC) |
| Succeeded by | Nrusingha Sahu (INC) |
| Constituency | Pallahara |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 June 1969 |
| Party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse |
Mridula Pradhan (m. 1998) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
|
| Education | Utkal University (M.A) |
| Occupation |
|
Dharmendra Pradhan (born 26 June 1969) is an Indian politician who served as the 9th Minister of Education from 2021 until his resignation in 2026. He previously served as Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas from 2014 to 2021, Minister of Steel from 2019 to 2021, and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship from 2017 to 2024. Pradhan is currently a member of the Indian parliament representing the Sambalpur constituency in the Lok Sabha as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Previously, he has also served as a member of Rajya Sabha representing Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
His tenure as the union education minister was marred with irregularities, including leakage of the scripts for 2024 and 2026 NEET (UG) exams. The government conducted a re-examination involving over 2.2 million students after the 2026 leakage.[2] The irregularities led to suicides of at least 12 students, and has served as a catalyst to the 2026 Jantar Mantar protests in Delhi calling for Pradhan's resignation. The protests turned violent, with clashes occurring between protestors and law enforcement officials, followed by negotiations between government and protestors and resignation of Pradhan.[3][4][5]
Early life and education
Pradhan was born on 26 June 1969 in Talcher, Odisha, to Debendra Pradhan, who served as Minister of State in the Vajpayee ministry (1998–2004), and Basanta Manjari Pradhan. His family hails from the Chasa community.[6] He became active in student politics through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in 1983 while at Talcher College, serving as president and later secretary of the student union. He earned a postgraduate degree in Anthropology from Utkal University in Bhubaneswar.[7][8]
Political career
Early political career
Pradhan was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Pallahara in 2000. He entered the Lok Sabha in 2004 representing Deogarh until the constituency was abolished in 2009. He also served as National President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) from 2004 to 2006, and held various party positions including National Secretary and All India General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).[9][10]
Ministerial tenures
Petroleum and Natural Gas (2014–2021)
Appointed as Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum and Natural Gas in 2014, Pradhan was elevated to Cabinet rank in 2017. During his tenure, he oversaw initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which aimed to expand LPG access in rural India. The ministry also implemented the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy, the PAHAL subsidy reform, and campaigns encouraging voluntary subsidy relinquishment. Investments exceeding USD 60 billion were made to expand city gas distribution networks.[11] He also laid the foundation of Urja Ganga Gas Pipeline network, provisioning free LPG connections and plugging cooking gas subsidy diversions.[12]
Steel (2019–2021)
As Minister of Steel, Pradhan launched initiatives including Ispati Irada and Mission Purvodaya to increase production capacity, strengthen the secondary steel sector, and promote job creation and regional industrial growth.[13]
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (2017–2024)
Pradhan implemented programs aimed at reskilling and upskilling the workforce, expanding ITI infrastructure by over 40% and increasing enrollment by 28% until 2019. The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) and the Skill Saathi platform were established to standardize training and support trainees.[14]
Education (2021–2026)
Pradhan assumed office as Minister of Education in July 2021. He oversaw reforms to the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the implementation of policies aimed at improving entrance examinations, including commissioning a committee led by former ISRO chief Koppillil Radhakrishnan. In 2024, the ministry faced scrutiny following the 2024 NEET controversy. The Supreme Court of India found no evidence of large-scale malpractice, though isolated incidents led to over 100 arrests.[15][16] On 24 June 2024, he took oath as a Lok Sabha Member from Sambalpur amid the 2024 NEET controversy.[17]
NEET paper leak (2026)
In 2026, NEET-UG again became the subject of controversy after the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the 3 May examination amid paper-leak allegations and scheduled a re-examination for 21 June 2026.[18][19] On 6 June 2026, supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical youth-led political movement, held a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and demanded Pradhan's resignation over examination leaks and marking-related concerns.[20][21] On 25 July 2026, Pradhan resigned his position as Education Minister.[4][22][23]
Personal life
Pradhan is married to Mridula Pradhan since 1998 and has two children. He resides in New Delhi.[24]
See also
References
- ↑ M, Akram; Sharma, Harikishan (26 July 2026). "The crisis manager: Why BJP turned to Pralhad Joshi after Pradhan's exit". Political Pulse. The Indian Express. Bengaluru/New Delhi. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "India: What's driving the intense pressure on students?". dw.com. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
- ↑ "India's 'cockroach' movement supporters caned by police". ABC News. 20 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
- 1 2 Asim, Mohammad (25 July 2026). "Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Sends Resignation To PM Modi Amid Student Protests". NDTV News. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ "Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns: केंद्रीय शिक्षण मंत्री धर्मेंद्र प्रधान यांचा राजीनामा, विद्यार्थ्यांच्या आंदोलनाला मोठं यश". Lokmat (in Marathi). 25 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ "Women Voters, Welfare Schemes and Star Campaigners: The Prime Factors in Sambalpur Lok Sabha Contest". The Wire. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ↑ Centre, National Informatics. "Digital Sansad". Digital Sansad. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- ↑ "Know Dharmendra Pradhan who resigned as education minister". The Times of India. 25 July 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- ↑ "Press Release, BJP President announces his Team" (PDF). 16 March 2010.
- ↑ "Narendra Modi set to invade Nitish Kumar's turf via telelink". The Times of India. 6 July 2013. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- ↑ "USD 60 billion investment coming in gas infrastructure: Dharmendra Pradhan". @businessline. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- ↑ "Dharmendra Pradhan's political journey". BusinessLine. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- ↑ "'Ispati Irada' launched by Pradhan during Steel Chintan Shivir". 23 September 2019.
- ↑ "2.5 Crore people trained under Skill India in 3 years". Archived from the original on 7 July 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- ↑ "No NEET Re-Exam, Supreme Court Says "Can't Conclude Sanctity Breached"". NDTV. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ↑ "NEET: Why an exam has sparked national outrage in India". Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ↑ "From V-C appointments to NCERT syllabus, controversies during Dharmendra Pradhan's tenure as Union education minister". Hindustan Times. 25 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ "Conduct of Re-examination for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test [NEET (UG)] 2026 – Reg" (PDF). National Testing Agency. 15 May 2026. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
- ↑ "NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak: Re-Exam On June 21, Here's What Students Must Know". NDTV. 16 May 2026. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
- ↑ "'Cockroach' youth group founder leads first street protest after arrival in India". Reuters. 6 June 2026. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
- ↑ Saaliq, Sheikh; Hussain, Aijaz (6 June 2026). "Mock political party for India's young 'cockroaches' holds first street protest". Associated Press. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
- ↑ "India's education minister resigns after weeks of protests against him". Associated Press. 25 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ "Dharmendra Pradhan resigns as Union education minister amid massive student protests". The Times of India. 25 July 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ Kumar, Shubhi (25 July 2026). "Who is Dharmendra Pradhan? Check Latest News, Ne Worth, Age, Career, Wife, Children, Political party - Here's Why He Resigned". The Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
