Dharmendra Pradhan Biography: Dharmendra Pradhan is a former Cabinet Minister for Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India. As a Member of Parliament, he represented Madhya Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha and was earlier a Member of the 14th Parliament.
Dharmendra Pradhan Age and Education
He was born on 26 June 1969 and hails from Talcher, Odisha. He is the son of former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Dr. Devendra Pradhan and Basanta Manjari Pradhan.
Pradhan holds a postgraduate diploma in Anthropology from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar.
Dharmendra Pradhan Wiki
| Name | Dharmendra Pradhan |
| Education | Post Graduate |
| Date of Birth | 26 Jun 1969 (Age 54) |
| Profession | Social Worker |
| State of Origin | Talcher, Distt. Angul (Odisha) |
| Stage Name | Bharatiya Janta Party |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Net Worth | ₹6.39 CRORE |
| Social Media Handles | Twitter |
| Father’s Name | Dr. Debendra Pradhan |
| Mother’s Name | Shrimati Basanta Manjari Pradhan |
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Dharmendra Pradhan Career
Pradhan’s leadership qualities were evident even during his college days. In 1983, while in secondary school at Talcher College, Odisha, Pradhan became an activist of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Later, Pradhan became president of the Talcher Students’ Union.
Pradhan served as ABVP secretary, returning officer in Bihar, and party general secretary in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Odisha. In 1998, he followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
He began his political career by contesting the 2000 Odisha Assembly elections from Parahara constituency, celebrating his first electoral victory. He served in various capacities in the Bharatiya Janata Party and was then elected to the 14th Lok Sabha and twice as an MP from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. He was elected in 2014 under the Narendra Modi government and served as Minister of State (Independent Officer) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. As Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Pradhan implemented many important reforms and initiatives. He introduced PAHAL, the world’s largest direct remittance program, and the #GiveItUp campaign to encourage wealthy citizens to give up their LPG subsidies to help the poor. The campaign, supported by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, received a positive response from nearly 10 million consumers. To provide clean fuel to rural India, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was launched, providing over 80 million LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.During his tenure as Minister, Pradhan visited over 24 countries, participated in many summits and represented India in many international programmes.
Pradhan assumed the post of Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas for a second term in 2019 and served as Minister for Steel from 2019 to 2021.
Pradhan has taken several key decisions in the hydrocarbon sector. With the support of the Union Cabinet, he introduced the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) aimed at increasing domestic oil and gas production, attracting significant investments and creating significant employment opportunities.
He also spearheaded various reforms to support the country’s energy transition. These include gas as bridge fuel, ethanol, compressed biogas (CBG), biodiesel and promotion of the SATAT programme. He advocated for the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for hydrogen-fueled CNG buses and long-haul trucks in Delhi.
During his previous tenure as Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (2017-19), Pradhan launched numerous initiatives to upskill, reskill and upskill India’s workforce and address the skills gap among the youth.
On 7 July 2023, he was inducted into the Ministry of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship under the Modi Cabinet.
Pradhan is considered a strong contender for the post of Chief Minister of Odisha. His decade of experience as a chaplain in the Union Army and as a returning officer in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Odisha gives him an edge over other candidates.
He has actively taken up issues like youth unemployment, vocational education, rehabilitation and resettlement of farmers and played a key role in mobilising the youth of Odisha.
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Dharmendra Pradhan Wife and Children
Dharmendra Pradhan is married to Mridula Pradhan and has two children, Nishant and Namaisha. A simple-minded person, he finds comfort in spending time with his family.
Dharmendra Pradhan Awards
In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Utkarmani Gopabandhu Pratibha Samman, the best legislator award, in 2002-03 and the Odisha Citizen Award in 2013.