Dharmendra Pradhan

Dharmendra Pradhan
Pradhan in 2026
Union Minister of Education
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 July 2021
President	Ramnath Kovind Droupadi Murmu
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Ramesh Pokhriyal
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
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 June 2024
Preceded by	Nitesh Ganga Deb
Constituency	Sambalpur, 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	(1969-06-26) 26 June 1969 Talcher, Odisha, India
Party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse	Mridula Pradhan ​ (m. 1998)​
Children	2
Parent	Debendra Pradhan (father)
Alma mater	Utkal University (M.A)
Occupation	Social worker politician

Dharmendra Pradhan (born 26 June 1969) is an Indian politician who is serving as the 9th Minister of Education since 2021. He previously held cabinet positions as Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas (2014–2021), Minister of Steel (2019–2021), and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (2017–2024). Pradhan represents the Sambalpur in the Lok Sabha as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He has also served as a Rajya Sabha member from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

His tenure as the federal Minister of Education has been marred by several controversies and irregularities, foremost amongt them the leakage of the examination scripts for the competitive NEET exam, held to filter candidates for undergraduate medical studies in India. Such successive leaks occurred first in 2024, and again in 2026, which warranted a retest involving over 2.2 million students.¹ The academic strain arising from the latter allegedly precipitated the suicides of at least 12 students, and has served as a direct precursor to the ongoing 2026 Jantar Mantar protests in Delhi, wherein student protestors, inter alia, are seeking his resignation and accountability from the BJP-led Union Government. Protests have intensified with concerted calls for Pradhan's resignation owing to his alleged mismanagement of affairs, a heavy police crackdown (including but not limited to baton-charges and teargassing) on the student protestors notwithstanding.²

Five criminal cases against Pradhan are currently outstanding.³

Pradhan was born on 26 June 1969 in Talcher, Odisha, to Debendra Pradhan, a former Minister of State in the Vajpayee ministry (1998–2004), and Basanta Manjari Pradhan. His family hails from the Chasa community.⁴ 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.

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).

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.⁵

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.⁶

Pradhan implemented programs aimed at reskilling and upskilling the workforce, expanding ITI infrastructure by over 40% and increasing enrlo 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.⁷ Some critics highlighted challenges with placement rates and program duration.⁸

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 K. Radhakrishnan. In 2024, the ministry faced scrutiny following allegations of malpractice in the NEET-UG; the Supreme Court of India found no evidence of large-scale malpractice, though isolated incidents led to over 100 arrests.⁹

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 2026.¹⁰¹¹ 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.¹²¹³

Pradhan has five pending criminal cases, including allegations under the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity between groups.¹⁴ The 2024 NEET controversy drew public criticism and parliamentary scrutiny.

The 2026 NEET controversy led to widespread criticism of Pradhan's handling of national entrance examinations. In June 2026, the Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar was among the demonstrations demanding his resignation over examination leaks and grading-related concerns.¹⁵¹⁶

Pradhan is married to Mridula Pradhan since 1998 and has two children. He resides in New Delhi.