Why Dharmendra Pradhan was one of PM Modi's most trusted ministers

NEW DELHI: Dharmendra Pradhan, who stepped down as Union Education Minister following the student protests over the NEET controversy, has long been regarded as one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trusted ministers. With his resignation, political observers are also speculating that Pradhan could now return to active politics in his home state of Odisha.

Born on June 26, 1969, in Talcher, Odisha, into a political family, Pradhan's rise in politics has been steady. Although his father, Debendra Pradhan, was a senior Jan Sangh and later BJP leader who also served as a Union minister, Dharmendra Pradhan built his own political career through student politics.

He held key organisational roles in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and later in the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), where he earned a reputation as an effective organiser. He entered the Rajya Sabha in 2004 and became the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas in the first Narendra Modi government in 2014.

During his tenure as Petroleum Minister, Pradhan was credited with reforms in the LPG subsidy system, expanding the fuel distribution network, strengthening India's energy security and promoting renewable energy initiatives.

He took charge as Union Education Minister in July 2021 and oversaw the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP). In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Odisha's Sambalpur constituency. He retained the Education portfolio in the third Modi government, reflecting the confidence the Prime Minister had in his administrative abilities.

Pradhan also played a key role in strengthening the BJP's organisational base in Odisha and other eastern states. His reputation as both an administrator and an organisation builder is believed to be one of the reasons why Prime Minister Modi was initially reluctant to part ways with him despite the growing student agitation.