Indian politician (born 1969) Dharmendra Pradhan is an Indian politician who is serving as the 9th Minister of Education since 2021. He previously held cabinet positions as Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas (2014–2021), Minister of Steel (2019–2021), and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (2017–2024). Pradhan represents the Sambalpur in the Lok Sabha as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He has also served as a Rajya Sabha member from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh..