# Minister of Education (India)

The minister of education, formerly the minister of human resources development (1985–2020), is the head of the Ministry of Education and one of the cabinet ministers of the Government of India.

## Cabinet ministers

* Note: MoS, I/C – Minister of State (Independent Charge)
| # | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister |
| | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister |
| Minister of Education ||||||||||
| 1 | | | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958) MP for United Provinces (1947–1952) MP for Rampur (1952–1957) | 15 August 1947 | 13 May 1952 | 9 years, 245 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru I | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 1 | | | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958) MP for United Provinces (1947–1952) MP for Rampur (1952–1957) | 13 May 1952 | 17 April 1957 | 9 years, 245 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru II | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Minister of Education and Scientific Research ||||||||||
| (1) | | | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958) MP for Gurgaon | 17 April 1957 | 22 February 1958 | 280 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru III | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 2 | | | K. L. Shrimali (1909–2000) Rajya Sabha MP for Rajasthan (MoS) | 22 February 1958 | 10 April 1962 | 4 years, 47 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru III | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Minister of Education ||||||||||
| (2) | | | K. L. Shrimali (1909–2000) Rajya Sabha MP for Rajasthan | 10 April 1962 | 31 August 1963 | 1 year, 143 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru IV | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 3 | | | Humayun Kabir (1906–1969) MP for Basirhat | 31 August 1963 | 21 November 1963 | 82 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru IV | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 4 | | | M. C. Chagla (1900–1981) Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra | 21 November 1963 | 27 May 1964 | 2 years, 357 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru IV | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 4 | | | M. C. Chagla (1900–1981) Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra | 27 May 1964 | 9 June 1964 | 2 years, 357 days | Indian National Congress | Nanda I | Gulzarilal Nanda (Acting) |
| 4 | | | M. C. Chagla (1900–1981) Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra | 9 June 1964 | 11 January 1966 | 2 years, 357 days | Indian National Congress | Shastri | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| 4 | | | M. C. Chagla (1900–1981) Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra | 11 January 1966 | 24 January 1966 | 2 years, 357 days | Indian National Congress | Nanda II | Gulzarilal Nanda (Acting) |
| 4 | | | M. C. Chagla (1900–1981) Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra | 24 January 1966 | 13 November 1966 | 2 years, 357 days | Indian National Congress | Indira I | Indira Gandhi |
| 5 | | | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (1905–1977) Rajya Sabha MP for Assam | 14 November 1966 | 13 March 1967 | 119 days | Indian National Congress | Indira I | Indira Gandhi |
| 6 | | | Triguna Sen (1905–1998) Rajya Sabha MP for Tripura | 16 March 1967 | 14 February 1969 | 1 year, 335 days | Indian National Congress | Indira II | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of Education and Youth Services ||||||||||
| 7 | | | V. K. R. V. Rao (1908–1991) MP for Bellary | 14 February 1969 | 18 March 1971 | 2 years, 32 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira II | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of Education and Culture ||||||||||
| 8 | | | Siddhartha Shankar Ray (1920–2010) MP for Raiganj | 18 March 1971 | 20 March 1972 | 1 year, 2 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi |
| 9 | | | Saiyid Nurul Hasan (1921–1993) Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh (MoS, I/C) | 24 March 1972 | 24 March 1977 | 5 years, 0 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi |
| 10 | | | Pratap Chandra Chunder (1919–2008) MP for Calcutta North East | 24 March 1977 | 28 July 1979 | 2 years, 126 days | Janata Party | Desai | Morarji Desai |
| 11 | | | Karan Singh (born 1931) MP for Udhampur | 28 July 1979 | 14 January 1980 | 170 days | Indian National Congress (Urs) | Charan Singh | Charan Singh |
| 12 | | | B. Shankaranand (1925–2009) MP for Chikkodi | 14 January 1980 | 17 October 1980 | 277 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |
| 13 | | | Shankarrao Chavan (1920–2004) MP for Nanded | 17 October 1980 | 8 August 1981 | 295 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |
| 14 | | | Sheila Kaul (1915–2015) MP for Raebareli (MoS, I/C) | 8 August 1981 | 31 October 1984 | 3 years, 145 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |
| 14 | | | Sheila Kaul (1915–2015) MP for Raebareli (MoS, I/C) | 31 October 1984 | 31 December 1984 | 3 years, 145 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv I | Rajiv Gandhi |
| Minister of Education ||||||||||
| 15 | | | K. C. Pant (1931–2012) MP for New Delhi | 31 December 1984 | 25 September 1985 | 268 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| Minister of Human Resource Development ||||||||||
| 16 | | | P. V. Narasimha Rao (1921–2004) MP for Ramtek | 25 September 1985 | 25 June 1988 | 2 years, 274 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 16 | | | P. Shiv Shankar (1929–2017) Rajya Sabha MP for Gujarat | 25 June 1988 | 2 December 1989 | 1 year, 160 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 17 | | | V. P. Singh (1931–2008) MP for Fatehpur (Prime Minister) | 2 December 1989 | 10 November 1990 | 343 days | Janata Dal | V. P. Singh | V. P. Singh |
| 18 | | | Raj Mangal Pande (1920–1993) MP for Deoria | 21 November 1990 | 21 June 1991 | 212 days | Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) | Chandra Shekhar | Chandra Shekhar |
| 19 | | | Arjun Singh (1930–2011) MP for Satna | 23 June 1991 | 24 December 1994 | 3 years, 184 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 20 | | | P. V. Narasimha Rao (1921–2004) MP for Nandyal (Prime Minister) | 24 December 1994 | 9 February 1995 | 47 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 21 | | | Madhavrao Scindia (1945–2001) MP for Gwalior | 9 February 1995 | 17 January 1996 | 342 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| – | | | P. V. Narasimha Rao (1921–2004) MP for Nandyal (Prime Minister) | 17 January 1996 | 16 May 1996 | 120 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 22 | | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924–2018) MP for Lucknow (Prime Minister) | 16 May 1996 | 1 June 1996 | 16 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee I | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 23 | | | S. R. Bommai (1927–2007) Rajya Sabha MP for Odisha | 5 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 1 year, 286 days | Janata Dal | Deve Gowda | H. D. Deve Gowda |
| 23 | | | S. R. Bommai (1927–2007) Rajya Sabha MP for Odisha | 21 April 1997 | 18 March 1998 | 1 year, 286 days | Janata Dal | Gujral | Inder Kumar Gujral |
| 24 | | | Murli Manohar Joshi (born 1934) MP for Allahabad | 19 March 1998 | 13 October 1999 | 6 years, 64 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee II | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 24 | | | Murli Manohar Joshi (born 1934) MP for Allahabad | 13 October 1999 | 22 May 2004 | 6 years, 64 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| (19) | | | Arjun Singh (1930–2011) Rajya Sabha MP for Madhya Pradesh | 23 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | 4 years, 364 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh |
| 25 | | | Kapil Sibal (born 1948) MP for Chandni Chowk | 28 May 2009 | 28 October 2012 | 3 years, 153 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | Manmohan Singh |
| 26 | | | M. M. Pallam Raju (born 1962) MP for Kakinada | 28 October 2012 | 26 May 2014 | 1 year, 210 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | Manmohan Singh |
| 27 | | | Smriti Irani (born 1976) Rajya Sabha MP for Gujarat | 27 May 2014 | 5 July 2016 | 2 years, 39 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi |
| 28 | | | Prakash Javadekar (born 1951) Rajya Sabha MP for Madhya Pradesh, till 2018 Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra, from 2018 | 5 July 2016 | 30 May 2019 | 2 years, 329 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi |
| 29 | | | Ramesh Pokhriyal (born 1959) MP for Haridwar | 31 May 2019 | 29 July 2020 | 1 year, 59 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | Narendra Modi |
| Minister of Education ||||||||||
| (29) | | | Ramesh Pokhriyal (born 1959) MP for Haridwar | 29 July 2020 | 7 July 2021 | 343 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | Narendra Modi |
| 30 | | | Dharmendra Pradhan (born 1969) MP for Sambalpur | 7 July 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 233 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | Narendra Modi |
| 30 | | | Dharmendra Pradhan (born 1969) MP for Sambalpur | 7 July 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 233 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi III | Narendra Modi |

## Ministers of state

| # | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister |
| # | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister |
| Minister of State for Education and Scientific Research ||||||||||
| 1 | | | K. L. Shrimali (1909–2000) Rajya Sabha MP for Rajasthan (MoS) | 17 April 1957 | 22 February 1958 | 280 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru III | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Minister of State for Education ||||||||||
| 2 | | | Ramchandra Martand Hajarnavis (1908–1976) MP for Bhandara (Minister of Cultural Affairs) | 13 June 1964 | 29 October 1965 | 1 year, 138 days | Indian National Congress | Shastri | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| 3 | | | Sher Singh Kadyan (1917–2009) MP for Rohtak | 13 March 1967 | 14 February 1969 | 1 year, 338 days | Indian National Congress | Indira II | Indira Gandhi |
| 4 | | | Bhagwat Jha Azad (1922–2011) MP for Bhagalpur | 13 March 1967 | 14 February 1969 | 1 year, 338 days | Indian National Congress | Indira II | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Education and Youth Services ||||||||||
| 5 | | | Bhakt Darshan (1912–1991) MP for Garhwal | 18 February 1969 | 18 March 1971 | 2 years, 28 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira II | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Education and Culture ||||||||||
| 6 | | | Saiyid Nurul Hasan (1921–1993) Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh | 4 October 1971 | 24 March 1972 | 172 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi |
| 7 | | | Dhanna Singh Gulshan MP for Bathinda | 14 August 1977 | 28 July 1979 | 1 year, 348 days | Janata Party | Desai | Morarji Desai |
| 8 | | | Renuka Devi Barkataki (1932–2017) MP for Gauhati | 16 August 1977 | 28 July 1979 | 1 year, 346 days | Janata Party | Desai | Morarji Desai |
| 9 | | | Rashida Haque Choudhury MP for Silchar | 30 July 1979 | 14 January 1980 | 168 days | Janata Party (Secular) | Charan Singh | Charan Singh |
| 10 | | | Sheila Kaul (1915–2015) MP for Raebareli | 24 November 1980 | 8 August 1981 | 257 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Human Resource Development ||||||||||
| 11 | | | Margaret Alva (born 1942) Rajya Sabha MP for Karnataka (Women and Child Development, Youth Affairs and Sports) | 25 September 1985 | 2 December 1989 | 4 years, 68 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 12 | | | Sushila Rohatgi (1921–2011) Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh (Education and Culture) | 25 September 1985 | 12 May 1986 | 229 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 13 | | | Krishna Sahi (born 1931) MP for Begusarai (Education and Culture, until 1988; Culture, from 1988) | 12 May 1986 | 2 December 1989 | 3 years, 204 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 14 | | | Laliteshwar Prasad Shahi (1920–2018) MP for Muzaffarpur (Education and Culture, until 1989; Education, from 1989) | 14 February 1988 | 2 December 1989 | 1 year, 291 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 15 | | | M. G. K. Menon (1928–2016) Rajya Sabha MP for Rajasthan (Education) | 20 January 1990 | 23 April 1990 | 93 days | Janata Dal | V. P. Singh | V. P. Singh |
| 16 | | | Chimanbhai Mehta (1925–2010) Rajya Sabha MP for Gujarat | 23 April 1990 | 10 November 1990 | 201 days | Janata Dal | V. P. Singh | V. P. Singh |
| 17 | | | Bhagey Gobardhan (1934–1993) MP for Mayurbhanj | 21 November 1990 | 20 February 1991 | 91 days | Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) | Chandra Shekhar | Chandra Shekhar |
| 18 | | | Mamata Banerjee (born 1955) MP for Calcutta South (Youth Affairs and Sports; Women and Child Development) | 21 June 1991 | 17 January 1993 | 1 year, 210 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 19 | | | Mukul Wasnik (born 1959) MP for Buldhana (Youth Affairs and Sports) | 18 January 1993 | 16 May 1996 | 3 years, 119 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 20 | | | Basavarajeshwari (1921–2008) MP for Bellary | 19 January 1993 | 15 September 1995 | 2 years, 239 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 21 | | | Selja Kumari (born 1962) MP for Sirsa (Education and Culture) | 15 September 1995 | 16 May 1996 | 244 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 22 | | | Krupasindhu Bhoi (born 1942) MP for Sambalpur (Education) | 15 September 1995 | 16 May 1996 | 244 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 23 | | | Vimla Verma (1929–2019) MP for Seoni (Women and Child Development) | 15 September 1995 | 16 May 1996 | 244 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 24 | | | Kanti Singh (born 1957) MP for Bikramganj | 1 June 1996 | 29 June 1996 | 28 days | Janata Dal | Deve Gowda | H. D. Deve Gowda |
| 25 | | | Muhi Ram Saikia (1923–2007) MP for Nowgong (Education) | 29 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 296 days | Asom Gana Parishad | Deve Gowda | H. D. Deve Gowda |
| 26 | | | R. Dhanuskodi Athithan (born 1953) MP for Tiruchendur (Youth Affairs and Sports) | 29 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 296 days | Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) | Deve Gowda | H. D. Deve Gowda |
| (25) | | | Muhi Ram Saikia (1923–2007) MP for Nowgong (Education) | 21 April 1997 | 19 March 1998 | 332 days | Asom Gana Parishad | Gujral | Inder Kumar Gujral |
| (26) | | | R. Dhanuskodi Athithan (born 1953) MP for Tiruchendur (Youth Affairs and Sports) | 1 May 1997 | 19 March 1998 | 322 days | Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) | Gujral | Inder Kumar Gujral |
| 27 | | | Uma Bharti (born 1959) MP for Khajuraho | 19 March 1998 | 13 October 1999 | 1 year, 208 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee II | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 28 | | | Sumitra Mahajan (born 1943) MP for Indore | 13 October 1999 | 1 July 2002 | 2 years, 261 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 29 | | | Jaisingrao Gaikwad Patil (born 1949) MP for Beed | 13 October 1999 | 27 May 2000 | 227 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 30 | | | Syed Shahnawaz Hussain (born 1968) MP for Kishanganj | 30 September 2000 | 8 February 2001 | 131 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 31 | | | Rita Verma (born 1953) MP for Dhanbad | 1 September 2001 | 29 January 2003 | 1 year, 150 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 32 | | | Jaskaur Meena (born 1947) MP for Dausa | 29 January 2003 | 22 May 2004 | 1 year, 114 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 33 | | | Ashok Kumar Pradhan (born 1953) MP for Khurja | 29 January 2003 | 24 May 2003 | 115 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 34 | | | Vallabhbhai Kathiria (born 1954) MP for Rajkot | 30 January 2003 | 9 January 2004 | 344 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 35 | | | Sanjay Paswan (born 1962) MP for Nawada | 24 May 2003 | 22 May 2004 | 364 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 36 | | | Mohammad Ali Ashraf Fatmi (born 1956) MP for Darbhanga (School Education and Literacy) | 23 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | 4 years, 364 days | Rashtriya Janata Dal | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh |
| (24) | | | Kanti Singh (born 1957) MP for Arrah (Higher Education) | 23 May 2004 | 29 January 2006 | 1 year, 251 days | Rashtriya Janata Dal | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh |
| 37 | | | Daggubati Purandeswari (born 1959) MP for Bapatla (till 2009) MP for Visakhapatnam (from 2009) (Higher Education) | 29 January 2006 | 22 May 2009 | 3 years, 113 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh |
| 37 | | | Daggubati Purandeswari (born 1959) MP for Bapatla (till 2009) MP for Visakhapatnam (from 2009) (Higher Education) | 28 May 2009 | 28 October 2012 | 3 years, 153 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | Manmohan Singh |
| 38 | | | E. Ahamed (1938–2017) MP for Malappuram (School Education and Literacy) | 12 July 2011 | 28 October 2012 | 1 year, 108 days | Indian Union Muslim League | Manmohan II | Manmohan Singh |
| 39 | | | Jitin Prasada (born 1973) MP for Dhaurahra | 28 October 2012 | 26 May 2014 | 1 year, 210 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | Manmohan Singh |
| 40 | | | Shashi Tharoor (born 1956) MP for Thiruvananthapuram | 28 October 2012 | 26 May 2014 | 1 year, 210 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | Manmohan Singh |
| 41 | | | Upendra Kushwaha (born 1960) MP for Karakat (School Education and Literacy) | 9 November 2014 | 11 December 2018 | 4 years, 32 days | Rashtriya Lok Samta Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi |
| 42 | | | Ram Shankar Katheria (born 1964) MP for Agra (Higher Education) | 9 November 2014 | 5 July 2016 | 1 year, 239 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi |
| 43 | | | Mahendra Nath Pandey (born 1957) MP for Chandauli (Higher Education) | 5 July 2017 | 3 September 2017 | 60 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi |
| 44 | | | Satya Pal Singh (born 1955) MP for Baghpat (Higher Education) | 3 September 2017 | 30 May 2019 | 1 year, 269 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi |
| 45 | | | Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre (born 1959) MP for Akola | 31 May 2019 | 29 July 2020 | 1 year, 59 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | Narendra Modi |
| Minister of State for Education ||||||||||
| 45 | | | Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre (born 1959) MP for Akola | 29 July 2020 | 7 July 2021 | 343 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | Narendra Modi |
| 46 | | | Annpurna Devi (born 1970) MP for Kodarma (School Education and Literacy) | 7 July 2021 | 9 June 2024 | 2 years, 338 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | Narendra Modi |
| 47 | | | Subhas Sarkar (born 1953) MP for Bankura (Higher Education) | 7 July 2021 | 9 June 2024 | 2 years, 338 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | Narendra Modi |
| 48 | | | Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (born 1952) MP for Inner Manipur (Higher Education) | 7 July 2021 | 9 June 2024 | 2 years, 338 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | Narendra Modi |
| 49 | | | Sukanta Majumder (born 1979) MP for Balurghat (Higher Education) | 10 June 2024 | Incumbent | 260 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi III | Narendra Modi |
| 50 | | | Jayant Chaudhary (born 1978) Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh (Higher Education) | 10 June 2024 | Incumbent | 260 days | Rashtriya Lok Dal | Modi III | |