Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has been given the additional charge of the Education Ministry. He currently holds the portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy.A five-time MP from the Dharwad constituency in Karnataka and regarded as a favourite of the BJP leadership, Joshi returned to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet after the NDA’s victory in the 2024 General Election.Born into a traditional North Karnataka Brahmin family in November 1962, Joshi entered national politics in 2004 when he was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha. Associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from a young age, he later rose through the ranks of the BJP.Notably, in the aftermath of the NEET-UG paper leak in May 2024, Joshi said the government was working on reforms to strengthen the examination system. “The government is very serious about that… reforms are needed, and we are bringing them. But they cannot be implemented within a year. By next year, technology-driven examinations will be in place,” he had said.As the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Joshi has spearheaded the Centre’s efforts to expand India’s clean energy capacity. His focus has been on helping the country achieve 500 GW of renewable and non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity by 2030 and its net-zero emissions target by 2070.He has overseen several key initiatives, including the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the PM-KUSUM scheme, and offshore wind energy projects aimed at accelerating India’s transition to sustainable energy.Earlier, between 2019 and 2024, he had served as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines. A long-time associate of the RSS, Joshi first entered the Lok Sabha in 2004 and has since built a reputation as an experienced administrator and organisational figure within the party.