Debendra Pradhan

Debendra Pradhan (16 July 1941 – 17 March 2025) was an Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party,^[1] who served as minister of state for surface transport and agriculture in the Second Vajpayee ministry. He was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha from Deogarh constituency. He was also a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Debendra Pradhan
Union Minister of State for Agriculture
In office 27 May 2000 – 29 January 2003
Prime Minister	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Preceded by	Thounaojam Chaoba Singh
Succeeded by	Shripad Naik
Union Minister of State for Surface Transport
In office 13 October 1999 – 27 May 2000
Prime Minister	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Succeeded by	Hukumdev Narayan Yadav
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 1998–2004
Preceded by	Sriballav Panigrahi
Succeeded by	Dharmendra Pradhan
Constituency	Deogarh, Odisha
Personal details
Born	(1941-07-16)16 July 1941 Nalam, Orissa Province, British India (present-day Odisha, India)
Died	17 March 2025(2025-03-17) (aged 83) Delhi, India
Party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse	Basanta Manjari Pradhan ​ ​ (m. 1966)​
Children	2 (including Dharmendra)
Residence	2, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi
Education	Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
Alma mater	Srirama Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack
Profession	Agriculturist medical practitioner social worker

Background

Pradhan was born on 16 July 1941 in the undivided Dhenkanal District of Odisha and studied MBBS.^[2] His son Dharmendra Pradhan is a Loksabha MP from Sambalpur, Odisha and Union Minister of Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship in the Narendra Modi Government. He died in Delhi on 17 March 2025, at the age of 83.^[3]

Offices

• President, BJP, Talcher Mandal (1980–1983)
• District President of undivided Dhenkanal District of BJP (1983–1985)
• District President of undivided Dhenkanal District of BJP (1985–1988)
• State President of BJP, Odisha (February 1988 – 1990)
• Re-elected as State President (BJP), Odisha (1990–1993)
• State General Secretary of BJP, Odisha (1993–1995)
• Re-elected as State President of BJP, Odisha (1995–1997)
• National Executive Member, BJP (1997–1998)
• Elected as Member of Parliament to 12th Lok Sabha, Deogarh Parliamentary Constituency, Odisha (1998)
• Union Minister of State for Surface Transport (1998–1999)
• Re-elected as Member of Parliament to 13th Lok Sabha, Deogarh Parliamentary Constituency (1999–2004)
• Union Minister of State, Surface Transport & Minister of State for Agriculture (1999–2001)
• National Vice President of BJP (2001–2002)