Dharmendra Pradhan, the new Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, is a post graduate in Anthropology from the Utkal University in Odisha
A Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar, he has been rewarded with a ministerial berth for the stunning victory of the BJP in the state with him as the party's campaign in-charge.
Mr Pradhan's father, Devendra Pradhan was a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He vacated his Lok Sabha seat, Deogarh in 2004, making way for his 44-year-old son. Pradhan Junior won in 2004, but was defeated five years later.
Starting his political career as a member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Mr Pradhan was elected President of Talcher College Students' Union in 1985.
A vocal opponent of religion based reservation in jobs, Mr Pradhan, in the past, has worked as Election in-charge of Bihar state, Organisational in-charge of party affairs in the states of Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Odisha.