Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 26: Senior BJP leader Pralhad Joshi on Sunday assumed charge as the Union Education Minister, a day after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following nationwide student protests over the alleged NEET paper leak.
Pradhan announced his resignation on Saturday, sharing a letter addressed to his "young friends" on X. He said he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in view of the developments that had unfolded across the country.
The resignation came after the Centre accepted key demands raised during the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led agitation at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The protests were called off following talks between a CJP delegation and Union ministers Jagat Prakash Nadda and Jitendra Singh.
Born on November 27, 1962, in Bijapur, Karnataka, Joshi completed his schooling in Hubballi. He studied at Railway School and New English School before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Shri Kadasiddheshwar Arts College in Hubballi.
Before entering full-time politics, Joshi was associated with business. He later emerged as a prominent BJP leader in Karnataka and has represented the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency since 2004, winning five consecutive parliamentary elections.
Joshi has held several important positions in the Union government. Between 2019 and 2024, he served as the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines. Following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he was assigned the portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy.
During his tenure as Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Joshi oversaw key flagship programmes, including the National Green Hydrogen Mission, PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, PM-KUSUM and other initiatives aimed at expanding India's renewable energy capacity.
With his appointment as Education Minister, Joshi takes charge at a time when the Centre is facing widespread demands for reforms in the public examination system following the alleged NEET paper leak controversy.