Dharmendra Pradhan Wiki, Age, Caste, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

 

Dharmendra Pradhan is an Indian politician. He is the Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in the Government of India.

Wiki/Biography

Dharmendra Pradhan was born on Thursday, 26 June 1969 (age 55 years; as of 2024) in Talcher, Odisha. His zodiac sign is cancer. He pursued his graduation at Talcher College, Odisha. Later, he pursued his post-graduation in Anthropology at Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. Pradhan showed leadership qualities since his college days and was elected president of the student union at Talcher College. ^[1]Business Line

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 6″

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family/ Caste

Dharmendra Pradhan belongs to an OBC family in Talcher, Odisha. He belongs to the Khandiyat caste.

Parents & Siblings

Dharmendra Pradhan’s father, Dr. Debendra Pradhan, is an Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and his mother, Basanta Manjari Pradhan, is a homemaker. He has an elder brother named Soumendra Pradhan.

Wife & Children

Dharmendra Pradhan got married to Mridula Pradhan in 1998. They have 2 children, a son, Nishant Pradhan, and a daughter, Naimisha Pradhan.

Religion

Dharmendra Pradhan follows Hinduism.

Address

Deendayal Nagar, Manikmara, Dharam Pur, Talcher, District-Angul, Odisha

Signature

Career

Politics

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)

In 1983, Dharmendra Pradhan began his political career, while he was still in college. He was a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). In 1985, he was appointed as the president of the Talcher College Students’ Union. In 1995, he became the national secretary of the ABVP.

Bharatiya Janata Party

In 2002, he became the National Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2004, he was elected to the 14 Lok Sabha from the Deogarh constituency and became a member of the Committee on Energy and the Committee on Petitions. In 2007, he was appointed as a member of the Standing Committee on Energy. In 2012, he was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Bihar and became a member of various parliamentary committees including the Committee on Government Assurances, JPC to examine matters relating to the allocation and pricing of telecom licenses and spectrum, the Committee on Rural Development, and the Committee on Agriculture. He has also served as the election in charge in Bihar and in charge of party affairs in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Odisha. On 7 July 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reshuffled his cabinet and Dharmendra Pradhan was appointed as the Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. ^[2]The Indian Express

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas

In 2014, he became the Minister of State (Independent charge) of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. In 2019, he was appointed second time as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. During his tenure as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was announced under which deposit-free LPG cooking gas connection is provided to very poor (below poverty line) households, and the connection is released in the name of an adult woman. Within 34 months of the scheme’s launch, Dharmendra Pradhan handed over the LPG connections to 7 crore households, and it was marked as one of the best success stories of the Ministry of Petroleum and Gas and is considered one of the main key factors for the win of the Modi government in the 2019 elections. ^[3]News Intervention

Union Minister of Steel

In 2019, he was appointed as the Minister of Steel. On 23 September 2019, he launched Ispati Irada, a collaborative branding campaign that aims to promoted the appropriate usage of steel in the country. It was an initiative for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a $5 Trillion Economy by 2025. ^[4]GKToday

He contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Sambalpur constituency in Odisha and won. On 9 June 2024, he was sworn in as the Education minister in the Modi 3.0 cabinet.

Assets & Properties

Movable Assets

• Cash: Rs. 52,670

• Bank Deposits: Rs. 31,16,982

• Jewellery: Rs. 6,25,000

• LIC or other insurance Policies: Rs. 14,46,888

• Bonds, Debentures and Shares in companies: Rs. 2,77,802

• Motor Vehicles: Rs. 3,10,000

• Other assets, such as values of claims/interests: Rs. 65,60,000

Immovable Assets

• Agricultural Land: Rs. 6,00,000

• Commercial Buildings: Rs. 24,00,000

Note: The given estimates of movable and immovable assets are according to the year 2016-2017. It excludes the assets owned by his wife and dependents. ^[5]MyNeta

Net Worth

Dharmendra Pradhan’s net worth for the financial year 2016-2017 was estimated to be Rs. 2 crores. ^[6]MyNeta It excludes the net worth of his wife and dependents.

Controversies

Cases where convicted 

• 2 charges related to Obscene acts and songs (IPC Section-294)

• 2 charges related to wrongful restraint (IPC Section-341)

• 2 charges related to Punishment (IPC Section-143)

• 2 charges related to Danger or obstruction in a public way or line of navigation (IPC Section-283)

• 2 charges related to Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of the offence committed in prosecution of common object (IPC Section-149)

• 1 charge related to criminal intimidation (IPC Section-506)

• 1 charge related to Obstructing public servants in the discharge of public functions (IPC Section-186)

• 1 charge related to Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention (IPC Section-34)

• 1 charge related to Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace (IPC Section-504)

• 1 charge related to Mischief by injury to a public road, bridge, river or channel (IPC Section-431)

Awards

• Best Legislator Award

• Utkalmani Gopabandhu Pratibha Samman in 2002-2003 ^[7]Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

• Odisha Citizens’ Award in 2013

Car Collection

• He owns a Maruti Esteem worth Rs. 35, 000.

• He owns a Honda City worth Rs. 2, 75, 000.

Facts

• Dharmendra has been the longest-serving Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, from 26 May 2014 to 7 July 2021.

• He is popularly known as the Ujjwala Man, as he played an important role in the success of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana launched by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

• He led a cycle rally from the Barunei hills to the IIT Bhubaneswar campus to spread awareness and encourage people to participate in the #merimaatimeradesh campaign on 28 August 2023.
  

  Dharmendra Pradhan (centre) leading a cycle rally

• In March 2023, Dharmendra visited many schools in Delhi with Australian Education Minister Jason Clare and Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist.
  

  Dharmendra Pradhan (Extreme right) with Adam Gilchrist and Jason Clare

• Dharmendra Pradhan, along with, Ashwini Vaishnaw tested the Made in India Mobile operating System ‘BharatOS’ on 24 January 2023.

#MadeInIndia मोबाइल ऑपरेटिंग सिस्टम, ‘BharOS’ का सफल परीक्षण!

भारत में सशक्त, स्वदेशी, #आत्मनिर्भर डिजिटल इंफ़्रास्ट्रक्चर के प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi जी के विज़न को पूरा करने की दिशा में एक महत्वपूर्ण पहल। @iitmadras @AshwiniVaishnaw @GoI_MeitY @_DigitalIndia pic.twitter.com/WGhfdnpBxR

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) January 24, 2023