02 — Profile
About Jual Oram
Jual Oram is an Indian politician from Odisha. He is the Union Cabinet Minister of Tribal Affairs and the Member of Parliament for Sundargarh, a Lok Sabha constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes, which he has represented in six Lok Sabhas since 1998.
- Name in the Lok Sabha record
- Shri Jual Oram
- Born
- 22 March 1961
- Birthplace
- Kendudihi, Lahunipara, Sundargarh district, Odisha
- Current office
- Union Cabinet Minister of Tribal Affairs, since 9 June 2024
- House and constituency
- Lok Sabha, Sundargarh (ST), Odisha
- Party
- Bharatiya Janata Party (joined 1989)
- Education
- Diploma in Electrical Engineering, U.G.I.E., Rourkela
- Professions listed
- Agriculturist; engineer; trade unionist
Record fields follow the Lok Sabha member record, sansad.in, member 279 (opens in a new tab).
01
Profile
Jual Oram's public career has two strands that run through almost four decades: representing Sundargarh, in north-western Odisha, and heading the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs. He was the Ministry's first minister when it was created in October 1999. He held the portfolio again from 2014 to 2019, and has held it for a third time since June 2024.
Before entering electoral politics, he trained as an electrical engineer in Rourkela and worked in industry. He also organised workers in the Bonai area and helped found local colleges. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1989, was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly in 1990, and entered the Lok Sabha in 1998.
02
Early background
He was born on 22 March 1961 at Kendudihi, in the Lahunipara area of Sundargarh district. His parents are recorded as Teria Dilga Oram and Bhutki Oram, both now deceased. His Lok Sabha record lists him in the Scheduled Tribe category. The record also notes that he married Jhingia Oram in 1987 and that they had two daughters. All India Radio News reported in August 2024 that Jhingia Oram had died.
Sundargarh district has a large Scheduled Tribe population, and its Lok Sabha seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribes. The district also contains Rourkela, one of India's major steel towns. Early Life sets out this context in more detail.
03
Education
| Qualification | Institution | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma in Electrical Engineering | U.G.I.E., Rourkela, Odisha | 1982 | Lok Sabha record (qualification); 2024 election affidavit (year) |
| Intermediate of Science | Sambalpur University | 1979 | 2024 election affidavit |
Some candidate databases put his education in a broad band such as "12th pass" or "up to higher secondary". This page uses the specific qualification in the Lok Sabha record.
04
Public life
According to the Lok Sabha record, he worked for six years as an Assistant Foreman in the Power Group of BHEL's Construction Division. He was founder General Secretary of the Bonai Mazdoor Sangh. He was also founder President of Baba Baneswar +2 College, Chandali Vihar, and of Lahunipara College. The record also lists him as founder of the Samara Orama Education Trust and as a patron of the All India Diploma Engineers Federation.
He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1989. In 1990 he was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Bonai, and he was re-elected in 1995. He served two terms, from 1990 to 1998.
05
Parliamentary career
He has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Sundargarh six times: in 1998, 1999, 2004, 2014, 2019 and 2024. That makes him a member of the 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 18th Lok Sabha. He was not a member of the 15th Lok Sabha (2009–2014).
In the 17th Lok Sabha he was Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Defence from 13 September 2019. His committee memberships have included the General Purposes Committee, the Standing Committees on Social Justice and Empowerment and on Industry, the Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and the Committee on Official Language. Parliament sets these out term by term.
06
Ministerial career
| Tenure | Office | Dates | Lok Sabha |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Union Cabinet Minister of Tribal Affairs (first holder) | 13 Oct 1999 – May 2004 | 13th |
| Second | Union Cabinet Minister of Tribal Affairs | May 2014 – May 2019 | 16th |
| Third | Union Cabinet Minister of Tribal Affairs | 9 Jun 2024 – present | 18th |
PIB records that he "was sworn as the first Union Minister for Tribal Affairs on 13th October 1999, when Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee created the Ministry". For the second tenure, the Lok Sabha record gives 27 May 2014 to 25 May 2019. For the third tenure, he was sworn in on 9 June 2024 and took charge of the Ministry on 14 June 2024. The Minister of State in the Ministry is Durgadas Uikey.
Ministerial Role explains what the Ministry does and how the role works.
07
Party organisation
- 1991–93District Vice-President, BJP, Sundargarh
- 1993–95National Vice-President, ST Morcha, BJP
- 1995–97National Secretary, BJP
- 1997–99State President, BJP Odisha (first term)
- 2004–06State President, BJP Odisha (second term)
- 2006–09National Vice-President, BJP
- 2009–11State President, BJP Odisha (third term)
- 2012–14National Vice-President and Member, Central Election Committee, BJP
Dates follow the Lok Sabha record. Some secondary sources give different end dates for the third term as State President.
08
Sources
- Lok Sabha, Digital Sansad — Member biography: Shri Jual Oram (opens in a new tab)
- PRS Legislative Research — MP Track, 18th Lok Sabha (opens in a new tab)
- PIB, 14 June 2024 — Shri Jual Oram takes charge as Union Minister for Tribal Affairs (opens in a new tab)
- ADR / MyNeta — 2024 election affidavit summary (education years) (opens in a new tab)
- All India Radio News, August 2024 (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Tribal Affairs — About the Ministry (opens in a new tab)