Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the Union Council of Ministers on Saturday amid ongoing protests over alleged National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) issues.In a letter to his “young friends”, Pradhan said he had submitted his writings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi because of the incidents at Jantar Mantar and other places in the country.His resignation brings to an end a ministerial tenure where he oversaw the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and several reforms in higher education, school curriculum and skill development.
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Long before joining the Union Cabinet, however, Pradhan’s political journey began in student politics in Odisha.
The first life is education
Dharmendra Pradhan was born on June 26, 1969, in Talcher, Odisha, into a political family. His father, Debendra Pradhan, was a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who served as Union Minister of State.Pradhan completed his education and higher education in Odisha. He studied at Talcher College before earning a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar.During his college years, he became involved in student politics. He served as the president of the Talcher College Students’ Union, the first leadership position that marked the beginning of his political career.
Getting involved in student politics
Pradhan’s association with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP price), a student organization affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), made his first political career.After entering campus politics, he continued to work with the organization and eventually became its national secretary.His years in the ABVP gave him organizational experience before he entered electoral politics through the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Changes in electoral politics
Pradhan entered electoral politics in 2000 when he was elected as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Pallahara constituency in Odisha.Four years later, he was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from Deogarh, marking his entry into national politics.He later became a member of the Rajya Sabha and held several positions in the Bharatiya Janata Party before joining the Union government.
Ministry work
Pradhan became part of the Union government led by Narendra Modi in 2014 when he was appointed Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum and Natural Gas.In 2017, he was promoted to the Cabinet as Minister of Oil and Gas, where he managed decisions related to the country’s energy sector.Following the cabinet reshuffle in 2021, he became Union Minister for Education and Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.As education minister, Pradhan was responsible for overseeing the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020, expanding capacity building strategies and overseeing policies related to schools and higher education.
From the school administration to the Union Cabinet
Pradhan’s political career spanned student leadership, union positions, state and Parliament politics before he was elected as a Union minister.Starting as a student leader at Talcher College, he went through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Odisha Legislative Assembly, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha before taking charge of key ministries in the Union government.His resignation as the Union Education Minister is the latest step in a political journey that started at Odisha’s school and later reached other important ministers of the country.