Public LifeInstitutionsResourcesFuture
PRALHADJOSHI
- 01Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
- 02Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy
- 03Union Minister of Education
Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Dharwad, Karnataka · Portfolios as listed by the Cabinet Secretariat, 25 July 2026
People
Consumers, ration-card holders, farmers, households and students.
Resources
Foodgrains, sugar and edible oils; solar, wind and small hydro power.
Institutions
Parliament, three ministries and the agencies that deliver their programmes.
Future
Schools, universities, research and the energy transition.
Fair markets, measured honestly
The Department of Consumer Affairs administers the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and the Bureau of Indian Standards. It also monitors the retail prices of essential commodities. As Union Minister, Pralhad Joshi heads the department.
- Right to be protected against hazardous goods and services
- Right to be informed about quality, quantity and price
- Right to access a variety of goods at competitive prices
- Right to be heard at appropriate forums
- Right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices
- Right to consumer awareness
From procurement to the ration shop
The Department of Food and Public Distribution oversees procurement of foodgrains at minimum support prices, central storage through the Food Corporation of India, allocation to States under the National Food Security Act, 2013, and reform of the public distribution system.
- ProcureWheat and paddy bought at MSP by FCI and State agencies
- StoreCentral-pool stocks held in covered and CAP storage and silos
- AllocateGrain allocated to States under NFSA and PMGKAY
- DistributeStates run about 5.5 lakh fair price shops
- DeliverFree grain to about 80 crore people; portable under ONORC
Figures: Department of Food & Public Distribution, Year-End Review 2025. PIB
Food & Public DistributionA grid in transition
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy frames policy and schemes for solar, wind, small hydro, bio-energy and green hydrogen. Projects are built largely through competitive tenders run by implementing agencies and developers.
New & Renewable EnergyAs on 31 August 2026. CEA installed capacity MNRE physical progress
A new portfolio, a national network
On 25 July 2026 the President assigned him the charge of the Ministry of Education in addition to his existing portfolios. He took charge at Kartavya Bhavan on 26 July 2026 and chaired a review of the Ministry’s schemes.
Public life
Hubballi to the Union Cabinet
Pralhad Joshi graduated from K.S. Arts College, Hubballi, and Karnatak University, Dharwad. His official profile gives his profession as industrialist. He held district and State-level party offices from 1995 and was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004. He has represented Dharwad in five consecutive Lok Sabhas. He has served in the Union Cabinet since 2019: first in Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, and since 2024 in Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and in New and Renewable Energy. Education was added in 2026.
- 2004First elected to the Lok Sabha, Dharwad North
- 2014–19Chairperson, Standing Committee on Petroleum & Natural Gas
- 2019–24Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines
- 2024–Consumer Affairs, Food & PD; New & Renewable Energy
- 2026–Minister of Education
05 Public systems
One public system connected to another
The four portfolios share stakeholders and infrastructure. A farmer who sells wheat at MSP may also run a solar pump under PM-KUSUM, and the same household may hold a ration card and send children to a government school. The Minister gives policy direction; delivery runs through departments, institutions and States.
- Connected to citizens, markets, farmers, students, institutions, infrastructure, technology and sustainability.
- Read the systems explainer
06 Career route
Public journey, 1962–2026
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Early Life
1962
Born in Vijayapura, Karnataka
Born on 27 November 1962 to Shri Venkatesh Joshi and Smt. Malatibai, according to his Lok Sabha member record.
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Education
B.A.
Graduated in Hubballi–Dharwad
Educated at K.S. Arts College, Hubballi, and Karnatak University, Dharwad, per the official profile.
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Public Activity
1995
District-level party office
President, BJP Dharwad District (1995–1998), then General Secretary (1998–2003).
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Parliamentary Career
2004
Elected to the 14th Lok Sabha
Elected from the Dharwad North constituency in the 2004 general election.
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State Politics
2006
State General Secretary
General Secretary of the BJP Karnataka State unit, 2006–2013, per the official profile.
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Parliamentary Career
2009
Re-elected from Dharwad
Returned to the 15th Lok Sabha from the Dharwad constituency.
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State Politics
2013
State party president
Appointed President of the BJP Karnataka State unit in March 2013; the tenure ended in April 2016.
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Parliamentary Career
2014
Third term; committee chair
Re-elected to the 16th Lok Sabha; Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas, 2014–2019.
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Union Ministerial Responsibilities
2019
Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines
Re-elected to the 17th Lok Sabha; sworn in as a Cabinet Minister on 30 May 2019.
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Union Ministerial Responsibilities
2024
Consumer Affairs, Food & PD; New & Renewable Energy
Fifth term in the 18th Lok Sabha; sworn in on 9 June 2024 and allocated these portfolios on 10 June 2024.
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Current Portfolio
2026
Ministry of Education added
Assigned charge of the Ministry of Education on 25 July 2026 in addition to his existing portfolios; took charge on 26 July 2026.
07 Current portfolio · Consumer + Food
One ministry, two departments
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has two departments. Ministers of State B.L. Verma and Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya serve alongside the Cabinet Minister.
Department of Consumer Affairs
Protection, standards and prices
- 01
Consumer protection
Central Consumer Protection Authority, established 24 July 2020.
- 02
Grievance redressal
National Consumer Helpline 1915, in 17 languages; e-Jagriti case filing.
- 03
Legal metrology
Weights, measures and packaged-commodity labelling; the e-Maap platform.
- 04
Standards
Bureau of Indian Standards, with over 23,300 standards in force (January 2026).
- 05
Price monitoring
Daily retail prices of 38 essential commodities since August 2024.
Department of Food & Public Distribution
Grain, storage and entitlements
- 01
Food security
Free foodgrains under PMGKAY for five years from 1 January 2024.
- 02
Procurement
300.35 LMT of wheat procured in RMS 2025-26, per the Department.
- 03
Public distribution
About 20.55 crore ration cards; One Nation One Ration Card in all 36 States/UTs.
- 04
Nutrition
Universal supply of fortified rice continued to December 2028.
- 05
Sugar & ethanol
Cane dues, sugar exports and diversion of sugar to ethanol.
08 Current portfolio · Renewable energy
Capacity, manufacturing, transition
National target: 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030, as announced at COP26. The Ministry reported that non-fossil sources reached half of installed capacity in June 2025.
- 01
Solar & rooftop
PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, launched February 2024.
- 02
Farm energy
PM-KUSUM solar pumps and feeder solarisation.
- 03
Manufacturing
PLI and ALMM for domestic modules and cells.
- 04
Green hydrogen
National Green Hydrogen Mission, ₹19,744 crore outlay.
304.33GW
Non-fossil installed capacity, 31 August 2026 (CEA)
168.04GW
Installed solar capacity, 31 August 2026 (MNRE)
50.06lakh
Households benefiting under PM Surya Ghar, reported 4 August 2026
192GW
Domestic solar module manufacturing capacity, reported 10 June 2026
09 Current portfolio · Education
The scale of the education system
Figures from the Ministry’s latest national surveys. Education is a Concurrent List subject; most schools are run by State governments.
Education10 Latest from the record
Documented, dated, sourced
The most recent entries from the evidence archive. Each links to its official or attributed source.
Curtain raiser for the 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference
Described the farmer as becoming an “Urjadata” as well as an “Annadata”; stated that about 29 lakh pumps had been solarised under PM-KUSUM and that the next phase would include an agrivoltaics component.
SourceTeachers’ Day: interaction with National Teachers’ Awards recipients
ANI reported that he interacted with the 82 recipients of the National Teachers’ Awards 2026, along with Ministers of State Jayant Chaudhary and Dr Sukanta Majumdar. The quotation is his social media post as reported by ANI.
SourceNon-fossil capacity crosses 300 GW
The Ministry reported 300.50 GW of non-fossil capacity as of 31 July 2026, over 54 per cent of total installed capacity.
Source