Newly appointed Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi took charge of the ministry on Sunday, a day after he was given additional portfolio following Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation amid nationwide student protests over NEET paper leak.
After assuming charge, Joshi said his immediate priority would be to understand the working of the ministry before taking decisions.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for entrusting him with the education ministry, saying the responsibility was entrusted to him “on the basis of trust and belief.” Joshi said he arrived in Delhi from Karnataka on Sunday morning and immediately started attending meetings to learn about the work of the ministry, its ongoing work and key decisions.
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Describing education as a “new field of work” for him, Joshi said he was interacting with senior officials to get a better understanding of the administration before taking the next steps.
“The section is very large, so I will give priority to understanding it first and then delivering,” he told reporters.
Joshi was given charge of the Education Ministry on Saturday after President Draupadi Murmu accepted Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation from the Union Cabinet with immediate effect.
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“The President of India, on the advice of the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan from the Union Cabinet, with immediate effect, under Clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution of India. Further, on the advice of the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Shri Pralhad Joshi, Cabinet Minister, be appointed in charge of the Ministry of Education, in addition to his existing portfolio,” Rashtrapati Bhavan said in an official statement.
Joshi will continue to hold his current positions in Consumer Affairs, Food, Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy, while also heading the Ministry of Education. During the previous government, he served as Union Minister for Coal and Mines and Parliamentary Affairs.
Why did Pradhan step down?
Pradhan resigned on Saturday, saying he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the interest of students and to ensure that “anti-national forces” do not take advantage of the ongoing protests over alleged examination irregularities.
His resignation came after weeks of student-led protests across the country over NEET paper leak, which culminated in the Center accepting the key demand of the Cockroach Janta Party he leads.
(With inputs from PTI)
