New Delhi: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pralhad Joshi has been appointed as India’s new Education Minister following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan amid nationwide protests over the NEET examination paper leak controversy.
Joshi, 63, will continue to oversee the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution while taking charge of the Education Ministry. His appointment comes at a time when the government is under pressure to restore confidence in India’s examination system.
After assuming office, Joshi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the responsibility, saying he accepted the role with humility and a strong sense of duty.
Early Life and Political Journey
Born in 1962 in Bijapur, Karnataka, Pralhad Joshi completed his Bachelor of Arts from KS Arts College, Hubballi, affiliated with Karnataka University. Before entering full-time politics, he co-founded a chemicals business.
Joshi became associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at a young age. He entered active politics during the Hubballi Idgah Maidan movement in the early 1990s, a major political issue in Karnataka.
Rise in the BJP
Joshi served as BJP’s Dharwad district president in 1998 and later became Karnataka BJP president in 2014. He has represented the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency since 2004 and has won five consecutive parliamentary elections.
He joined the Union Cabinet in 2019 as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines. During his tenure, he introduced measures aimed at increasing domestic coal production to meet India’s growing energy needs. In 2025, he was given charge of the New and Renewable Energy Ministry along with Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
Major Challenge Ahead
Joshi’s biggest immediate challenge will be rebuilding trust in India’s education system after the NEET 2026 paper leak controversy.
The examination, taken by around 2.3 million students in India and overseas centres, was cancelled following allegations of a question paper leak. The incident triggered large-scale student protests across the country, eventually leading to the resignation of the previous education minister.
Soon after taking charge, Joshi held his first review meeting with senior officials to assess the situation and discuss measures aimed at improving transparency, strengthening examination security, and restoring public confidence.
