Pralhad Joshi takes charge as Education Minister after Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has been appointed as the Union Education Minister following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, marking a key reshuffle in the Union Cabinet amid continuing political debate over the education sector.

Joshi, who represents Dharwad in Karnataka in the Lok Sabha, was serving as the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, as well as New and Renewable Energy, before being entrusted with the education portfolio.

Speaking after his appointment, Joshi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reposing faith in him and said he would discharge his new responsibilities with humility and dedication.

"I have just got to know that the Prime Minister has given me a responsibility. I accept this responsibility with a sense of duty and humility, and I am thankful to the Prime Minister. In the last 12 years of Prime Minister Modi's government, many historical achievements have been made. In the last four-five years, Dharmendra Pradhan also executed the National Education Policy... Under the guidance of the Prime Minister, I will try to perform to the best of my capacity," Joshi said.

His appointment comes shortly after Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down as Education Minister, ending a tenure during which the government rolled out the National Education Policy (NEP) and oversaw major reforms in higher and school education.

Joshi's elevation places him at the helm of the ministry at a time when issues relating to competitive examinations, higher education reforms and implementation of the NEP continue to dominate the policy agenda.

The new Education Minister, in the past, copped criticism on his comments on the issue of Indian students who returned from Ukraine after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war and sought admission to medical colleges in India.

Speaking on the matter, Joshi had said in 2022, "Those (students) who have returned (from Ukraine), 90% of them won’t clear the entrance examinations. I’m not telling you this… I don’t want to create a controversy over it or start a debate. So, all I want to say is that they have gone, may they be well."

The remark had drawn attention at the time amid demands from returning students for special measures to enable them to continue their medical education in India.

Tags : Pralhad Joshi, Dharmendra Pradhan, Education Minister, NEP, Narendra Modi