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

Bio/Wiki
Profession	Politician
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	5' 6" (168 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Politics
Political Party	Bharatiya Janata Party (2002-present)
Political Journey	• 1983: Became a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) • 1995: Became the national secretary of the ABVP • 2002: Appointed as the National Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party • 2004: Elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from the Deogarh constituency and became a member of the Committee on Energy and the Committee on Petitions • 2007: Appointed as a member of the Standing Committee on Energy • 2012: Elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Bihar • 2012: became a member of various parliamentary committees including the Committee on Government Assurances, JPC, the Committee on Rural Development, and the Committee on Agriculture • 2012: Became the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas • 2017: Became the Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship • 2018: Elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Bihar • 2019: Appointed as the Minister of Steel under Narendra Modi's government • 2021: Appointed as the Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship • 2021: Appointed as the Minister of Education • 2024: Won the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat in Odisha and took oath as the Education minister in the Modi 3.0 cabinet on 9 June
Awards	• Best Legislator Award • 2002: Utkalmani Gopabandhu Pratibha Samman • 2013: Odisha Citizens’ Award
Personal Life
Date of Birth	26 June 1969 (Thursday)
Age (as of 2024)	55 Years
Birthplace	Talcher, Odisha
Zodiac sign	Cancer
Signature
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Talcher, Odisha
College/University	• Talcher College, Odisha • Utkal University, Bhubaneswar
Educational Qualification(s)	• Graduation from Talcher College, Odisha • Post-graduation in Anthropology from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar
Religion	Hinduism
Caste	Khandayat caste
Address	Deendayal Nagar, Manikmara, Dharam Pur, Talcher, District-Angul, Odisha
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)
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date	9 December 1998
Family
Wife/Spouse	Mridula Thakur Pradhan (Chairman Vikash foundation, Social Worker)
Children	Son- Nishant Pradhan Daughter- Naimisha Pradhan
Parents	Father- Debendra Pradhan (Politician) Mother- Basanta Manjari Pradhan (Homemaker)
Siblings	Brother- Soumendra Pradhan Sister- None
Style Quotient
Car Collection	• Maruti Esteem • Honda City
Money Factor
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. [1]My Neta
Net Worth (approx.)	Rs. 2 Crore (as of 2016-2017) [2]My Neta

Some Lesser Known Facts About Dharmendra Pradhan

• Dharmendra Pradhan belongs to an OBC family in Talcher, Odisha.

• Dharmendra was elected President of the Talcher College student union in 1985.

• During his college days, he showed interest in politics and joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)

• In 1995, he became the national secretary of the ABVP.

• In 2004, while he served as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the government launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) under which deposit-free LPG cooking gas connection was provided to very poor (below poverty line) households, and the connection is released in the name of an adult woman.

• Under 3 years after the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Dharmendra Pradhan handed over the LPG connections to 7 crore households, which was considered one of the best success stories of the Ministry of Petroleum and Gas.
  

  Pradhan (centre) with the beneficiaries of Ujjwala Yojana during a press conference in Delhi

• On 23 September 2019, he launched a collaborative branding campaign, Ispati Irada, that aimed to promote the appropriate usage of steel in the country.
  

  Dharmendra Pradhan during his visit to SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant in September 2019

   

• While he served as the Union Minister of Skill Development, there was a 40 per cent increase in the number of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), and student enrollment increased by over 28% till 2019.

• In February 2019, he also launched a career counselling programme under the National Skill Development Corporation to create awareness about various programmes under the Skill India Mission. ^[3]OrissaPOST

• While serving as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Pradhan launched numerous Hydrocarbon Exploration & Licensing Policies. He also led many new projects and campaigns in the hydrocarbon sector such as the Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh Scheme which is the world’s largest Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme.

• During his tenure as the Petroleum Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan led many initiatives to make India a gas-based economy. Pradhan also worked on expanding the city gas distribution network and piped gas network in the country.

• In 2020, he launched Mission Purvodaya to increase the development of eastern India through the establishment of an integrated steel hub in Kolkata, West Bengal.

• Dharmendra Pradhan served as the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas from 26 May 2014 to 7 July 2021, becoming the longest-serving Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas.

• On 28 August 2023, to spread awareness and encourage people to participate in the #merimaatimeradesh campaign, he led a cycle rally from Barunei Hill to the IIT Bhubaneswar campus.
  

  Dharmendra Pradhan (centre) leading a cycle rally

   

• In January 2023, Dharmendra Pradhan tested India’s first operating system known as the ‘BharatOS’ along with the Union Minister of Railways of India Ashwini Vaishnaw.

#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

• In March 2023, Dharmendra Pradhan accompanied Australian Education Minister Jason Clare and Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist to various schools around Delhi.
  

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