Pralhad Joshi was given additional charge of the Ministry of Education on Saturday, 25 July 2026, hours after Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was accepted. A government release said: "as advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Shri Pralhad Joshi, Cabinet Minister, be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Education, in addition to his existing portfolio." President Droupadi Murmu accepted Pradhan's resignation from the Union Council of Ministers. Joshi, a five-time MP from Dharwad, retains his existing portfolios including Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy. Taking charge amid the fallout of the NEET-UG row, he said he would work with humility and honesty.
Key Facts & Details
10 points- 1Pralhad Joshi was given additional charge of the Ministry of Education on 25 July 2026.
- 2It followed Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation the same day.
- 3President Droupadi Murmu accepted Pradhan's resignation from the Union Council of Ministers.
- 4The charge was assigned by the President as advised by the Prime Minister.
- 5Joshi is a five-time MP from Dharwad.
- 6He retains his existing portfolios, including Consumer Affairs and New and Renewable Energy.
- 7He said he would work with humility and honesty.
Deep Dive
- +The assignment is additional charge, not a full-time replacement appointment.
- +It came less than a day after the NEET-UG 2026 crisis forced Pradhan out.
- +Joshi is a senior Union Cabinet Minister rather than a Minister of State.
Exam Focus
Who was given additional charge of the Union Education Ministry after Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation?
Exam Relevance & Angle
Successor appointments to a vacated Union portfolio are directly testable, and the additional-charge mechanism plus Article 75 process are standard polity concepts.
Target Exams
Background & Context
When a Union minister leaves office, the portfolio does not stay vacant. Rather than induct a new minister immediately, the Prime Minister can have an existing Cabinet Minister take additional charge — running the ministry alongside their own. This is a stopgap arrangement, formally effected by the President acting on the Prime Minister's advice, which is how all ministerial appointments and removals work under Article 75 of the Constitution. Because the President acts on advice rather than independently, the direction assigning the portfolio is issued in the President's name but reflects the Prime Minister's decision.
Test Yourself
1 / 2Who was assigned additional charge of the Ministry of Education in July 2026?
Source
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