Political figure Shri Dharmendra Pradhan represents the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India. He has served in a number of significant capacities for the Indian government. Listed below are some facts regarding Shri Dharmendra Pradhan:
Early Years and Education: Dharmendra Pradhan was born in Talcher, Odisha, India, on June 26, 1969. He earned his bachelor’s in arts from Talcher College before going on to Utkal University in Bhubaneswar to earn his law degree.
Pradhan’s political career had its start with the BJP’s youth wing. He advanced through the ranks and held a number of office in the party’s structure. He was chosen to represent Bihar in the Rajya Sabha, the Indian Parliament’s upper house, in 2004. He has also held the position of General Secretary of the BJP in Odisha.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has held a number of ministerial positions within the Indian government. He was appointed as the Modi administration’s Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum and Natural Gas in May 2014. He was instrumental in the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, a programme designed to provide clean cooking fuel to homes living below the poverty line. He also played a vital role in the implementation of other changes in the oil and gas industry. Pradhan has also served as the minister of steel and the minister of entrepreneurship and skill development, among other positions.
Contributions and Successes: During his tenure as petroleum and natural gas minister, Dharmendra Pradhan played a critical role in advancing energy security, increasing the use of clean energy sources, and luring international capital into the oil and gas industry. He has attempted to lessen India’s reliance on imports by expanding domestic production of oil and gas. Pradhan has participated extensively in international energy forums and contributed to the development of India’s energy diplomacy.
Beyond his ministerial duties, Dharmendra Pradhan has been a politically active party leader, taking part in local politics and planning events for the party. He has been active in a number of social and cultural groups, especially in his native Odisha.
Dharmendra Pradhan has become one of the BJP’s most well-known leaders and is renowned for his aggressive and dynamic style of government. He has gained fame in Indian politics as a result of his services to the energy industry and political savviness.
The Cabinet Minister for Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship in the Indian Government is Dharmendra Pradhan. Shri Pradhan, a member of parliament, previously served in the 14th Lok Sabha and now represents Madhya Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha. He was born on June 26th, 1969, and was raised in Talcher, Odisha.
As India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Pradhan is credited with a number of progressive reforms and initiatives, including the #GiveItUp campaign and consumer initiatives like PAHAL, the largest Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme in the world and the largest Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme in the world. The campaign pushed wealthy residents to give up their LPG subsidy for the less fortunate, and roughly 10 million consumers responded favourably. The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was introduced by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas in an effort to empower rural Indians with the clean fuel of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and more than 80 million LPG connections have been given to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
In the hydrocarbon industry, Minister Pradhan made some significant choices. With the backing of the Union Cabinet, he implemented a new Hydrocarbon Exploration & Licencing Policy (HELP), which enhances domestic oil and gas production while attracting significant investment to the industry, creating significant employment, and requiring uniform licencing for exploration and production of all forms of hydrocarbon.
As part of his reforms and initiatives, Minister Pradhan has also promoted the use of gas as a bridge fuel, ethanol, CBG, and biodiesel, implemented the SATAT programme, promoted the use of hydrogen-blended CNG buses in Delhi for use as both a transportation fuel and an industrial fuel for refineries, and promoted LNG stations for long-haul trucks among other initiatives.
Shri Pradhan also initiated numerous important projects during his previous term as the Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (2017–19), with a focus on reskilling, upskilling, and skilling the Indian workforce. He also placed a strong emphasis on closing the skills gap for Indian youth.
He holds a post-graduate degree in anthropology from Utkal University in Bhubaneswar and has actively pursued a number of youth-related issues, including unemployment, the absence of skill-based education, farmer rehabilitation, and resettlement. He has also played a significant role in organising the youth in Odisha.
In 1983, Shri Pradhan became an Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activist and has since held the position of Secretary. He has also held positions in Bihar overseeing elections and in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Odisha overseeing party affairs.
Pradhan received the “Best Legislator Award,” the Utkalmani Gopabandhu Pratibha Samman in 2002–2003, and the Odisha Citizens’ Award in 2013 in recognition of his contributions to society and the party.
Nishant and Namaisha, his two children, are born to him and Mridula Pradhan.