Pralhad Joshi

Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi (born 27 November 1962) is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the 13th Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and 10th Minister of New and Renewable Energy since 2024. In July 2026, Joshi assumed office of the 10th Minister of Education while continuing to hold his existing portfolios in the Union Cabinet.

He was also the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, and played a prominent role in the smooth passing of crucial bills like Abrogation of Article 370, Citizenship Amendment Bill and many more in both the houses. He also served as the Minister of Coal and the Minister of Mines from 2019 to 2024. Joshi has also been a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha since 2004, representing the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency. He was also the State President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Karnataka (BJP) from 2014 to 2016. He served in the panel of chairpersons of the Lok Sabha (2014–2018).

In July 2026, following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan amid the NEET 2026 Paper leak controversy and criticism over the management of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Joshi assumed office as the 10th Minister of Education while continuing to hold his existing portfolios in the Union Cabinet.

Joshi first came to public notice with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) when they organised a movement to hoist the Flag of India at the Idagah Maidan Hubli, Karnataka during 1992–1994. Recently, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the Karnataka High Court order restoring the ownership of the said maidan to the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation. He has been elected to Lok Sabha in the general elections of 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024.

Early life and education Pralhad Joshi was born on 27 November 1962 in Bijapur, Mysore State, India, to father, Venkatesh Joshi, and mother, Malatibai Joshi. He is from a Brahmin family. His father was an Indian Railways employee and Joshi is the third child of his parents. Joshi's primary education was in the Railway School, his secondary education in New English School in Hubli, and for his higher education, Joshi graduated from Shri Kadasiddeshwar Arts College in Hubli.

Early political career An industrialist by vocation in his early days, Pralhad Joshi ingratiated himself into the political fray by organising a movement to hoist the tri-colour flag at Idagah Maidan in Hubli from 1992 to 1994. He also led the "Save Kashmir Movement" during those years, which established him as a known figure in those regions of the state. He was then elected the president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Dharwad district. He first contested in the 14th Lok Sabha elections in 2004, where he won from the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency by defeating INC's B.S Patil.

He's won three consecutive elections from that constituency and is the incumbent MP of Dharwad. In the 2009 General elections, he won by the second-highest margin amidst 28 constituencies in Karnataka, while most of the ministers and Members of Parliament secured a loss in the same year.

In 2019, he retained the Dharwad seat for a second term by a margin of over one lakh votes.

Joshi has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from a young age. His tenure in these ministerial posts lasted till June 2024, and after the 2024 Indian general election, Joshi was appointed the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the Minister of New and Renewable Energy in June 2024. Joshi's win, for the fifth time in a row, from the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency was a record of consecutive wins by any candidate in the constituency; however Joshi stated that he was unhappy due to winning with a reduced vote margin.

After nationwide student protests over the 2026 NEET paper leak controversy, which lead to the resignation of Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan on 25 July, Joshi was handed the additional charge of the Education minister.

Controversies Pralhad Joshi was openly supporting the bail for rapists, says that it was "Nothing wrong" and "as per the law" who gang raped Bilkis Bano, during the 2002 Gujarat violence. This was brought forward by Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi during the Monsoon session of 2026. After Dharmendra Pradhan was forced to resign after a month long 2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar protests. He is also a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh which was a part of the 2002 Gujarat violence.