Pralhad Joshi has been appointed as the new Union Education Minister on Saturday (July 25, 2026) after the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan following nationwide protests.
Who is Pralhad Joshi?
Pralhad Joshi currently holds the portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy.
Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi (born 27 November 1962) is an Indian politician who is serving as the 13th Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the 10th Minister of New and Renewable Energy since 2024.
In July 2026, following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan over the 2026 NEET controversy and weak management of the National Testing Agency, Joshi was assigned the additional charge of the Minister of Education while continuing to hold his existing portfolios.
He was also the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, the Minister of Coal and the Minister of Mines from 2019 to 2024. Joshi has also been a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha since 2004, representing the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency.
He was also the State President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Karnataka (BJP) from 2014 to 2016. He served in the panel of chairpersons of the Lok Sabha (2014–2018).
Joshi first came to public notice with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) when they organised a movement to hoist the Flag of India at the Idagah Maidan Hubli, Karnataka during 1992–1994.
Recently, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the Karnataka High Court order restoring the ownership of the said maidan to the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation. He has been elected to Lok Sabha in the general elections of 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024.
