You've probably heard that Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has announced his resignation. He said he's stepping down to honour the hopes of the youth and to avoid giving any opportunity to troublemakers.
Dharmendra Pradhan was born on June 26, 1969, in Talcher, Odisha, to Devendra Pradhan and Basant Manjari Pradhan. His father, Devendra Pradhan, also served as a former Union Minister. Dharmendra Pradhan completed his Master's degree in Anthropology from Utkal University in Odisha.
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First steps as a student leader
Pradhan's political career kicked off during his student days. He joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) as an activist in 1983 while at Talcher College. In the 1980s, he was elected president of the Talcher College Students' Union. He became the ABVP Odisha State Secretary in 1993 and National Secretary in 1995. He officially joined the BJP in 1998.
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From state politics to Parliament
In 2000, he was first elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly and then to the Lok Sabha in 2004. He also served as a Rajya Sabha member. Over time, Pradhan became a key national leader and now represents the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency. He was the Odisha BJYM President in 2001, BJP National Secretary in 2002, and BJYM National President in 2004. He won the 18th Lok Sabha elections in June 2024 and has served on key committees like Energy, Petitions, and the JPC on telecom licenses.
Pradhan handled some of the most important portfolios in the Modi government. From 2017 to 2019, he was the Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development. Between 2019 and 2021, he was the Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel. On July 7, 2021, he took charge as the Union Minister of Education and Skill Development. After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he was reappointed as the Education Minister on June 9, 2024.
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Interesting facts
Here's something interesting: Dharmendra Pradhan's father, Devendra Pradhan, was also a minister in the Vajpayee government. As Petroleum Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan gained national recognition for successfully implementing the 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana' (PMUY). Back in 1997, as a student leader, he led massive protests against a paper leak in Odisha and was reportedly injured in a lathicharge. On the personal front, he married Mridula Thakur Pradhan on December 9, 1998, and they have a son and a daughter.
