Meet India's new education minister Pralhad Joshi: Who is he, which Cabinet ministries does he hold, and what are his educational qualifications?

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi was on Saturday assigned the additional charge of the Ministry of Education after President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan amid weeks of nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.

Pradhan's resignation took immediate effect, while Joshi will continue to handle his existing portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy.

"The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect... Further, as advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Shri Pralhad Joshi, Cabinet Minister, be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Education, in addition to his existing portfolio," Rashtrapati Bhavan said in an official statement.


Read more: Pralhad Joshi gets Education Ministry after Pradhan quits amid 36-day protest

The development comes after Pradhan resigned, saying he had stepped down in the interest of students and to ensure that the ongoing protests over examination irregularities were not exploited by "anti-national forces".

Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which had led a 37-day agitation at Jantar Mantar, announced the withdrawal of its protest after the Centre accepted several of its demands, including Pradhan's resignation.

Read more: CJP withdraws Jantar Mantar protest after Centre accepts key demands; JP Nadda says government will consider protesters' 5-point charter

Who is Pralhad Joshi?

Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi is a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Karnataka and a six-time Lok Sabha MP from the Dharwad constituency. Born on 27 November 1962 in Bijapur (now Vijayapura), Karnataka, Joshi has represented Dharwad in Parliament continuously since 2004.

Known as one of the BJP's key organisational leaders in Karnataka, he also served as the party's state president from 2014 to 2016 and was a member of the Panel of Chairpersons of the Lok Sabha between 2014 and 2018.

Which ministries does Pralhad Joshi currently hold?

Following the latest reshuffle, Joshi now holds charge of four major portfolios:

• Minister of Education (additional charge)
• Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
• Minister of New and Renewable Energy

Between 2019 and 2024, he also served as:

• Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
• Minister of Coal
• Minister of Mines

Pralhad Joshi's educational qualifications

Joshi completed his schooling at the Railway School and New English School in Hubballi. He later graduated from Shri Kadasiddeshwar Arts College, Hubballi.

Before entering full-time politics, he worked as an industrialist.

Pralhad Joshi's political journey

Joshi has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since his youth and attended its training camps.

He first gained public attention during the 1992-94 Idgah Maidan movement in Hubballi, which sought permission to hoist the Indian national flag at the disputed site. Around the same period, he also led the 'Save Kashmir Movement', strengthening his political profile in Karnataka.

He later became the BJP's Dharwad district president before contesting the 2004 Lok Sabha election, where he defeated Congress candidate B.S. Patil to enter Parliament for the first time.

Since then, Joshi has successfully retained the Dharwad seat in the 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, making him one of Karnataka's longest-serving BJP MPs.

Why was Pralhad Joshi given the Education Ministry?

Joshi was entrusted with the Education Ministry after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid sustained nationwide protests over alleged examination irregularities, including the NEET paper leak controversy.

The protests, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and supported by student groups, demanded Pradhan's resignation, education reforms, withdrawal of FIRs against protesters and compensation for families affected by the NEET controversy.

Following three rounds of discussions with Union Ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh, the CJP announced that it was withdrawing its agitation after receiving assurances from the government.

Nadda also said the Centre had accepted the protesters' key demands and would examine the outfit's five-point charter on education and examination reforms before initiating further action.

Inputs from agencies