Prahlad Venkatesh Joshi was born in November 1962 in Vijayapura (formerly Bijapur), Karnataka, into a family with roots in the region. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at K.S. Arts College after studying in Hubballi, and became associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from a young age, an affiliation that shaped much of his early political grounding.
Unlike many senior leaders who rose through state government roles, Joshi built his career primarily through the BJP's party structure, taking on multiple organisational responsibilities in Karnataka, including a stint as state party president, before entering national politics. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004 from the Dharwad constituency, and has since gone on to win the seat five times, cementing his reputation as one of the party's more experienced parliamentary hands. After the BJP's return to power in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought him into the Union Cabinet, where he has held responsibilities including coal, parliamentary affairs, and consumer welfare over different periods.
More recently, Joshi has served as Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy — a portfolio in which he has pushed initiatives like the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, and the PM-KUSUM scheme, as part of the country's push toward 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030.
On July 25, 2026, Joshi was given additional charge of the Education Ministry after Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation amid the NEET-UG controversy, while continuing to hold his existing portfolios. He is widely regarded within the party as a trusted organisational leader and parliamentary strategist, and on taking charge, he thanked the Prime Minister for the responsibility and said he intended to approach the new role with sincerity, at a moment when the ministry remains under close public and political scrutiny.
