Union Minister of Tribal AffairsMember of Parliament (Lok Sabha) for Sundargarh, Odisha
This website documents his public life, from Sundargarh district in Odisha to six terms in the Lok Sabha and three tenures in charge of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. It is written from parliamentary, ministerial and other official records.
Six places anchor the record: a village in Sundargarh district, the industrial town where he trained, the Assembly seat he first won, the Lok Sabha constituency he has represented since 1998, and two institutions in New Delhi.
Birthplace, in Sundargarh district, Odisha.
Diploma in Electrical Engineering, U.G.I.E. Rourkela.
Two terms in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, first elected in 1990.
Elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998, 1999, 2004, 2014, 2019 and 2024.
Member of the 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 18th Lok Sabha.
Its first Union Minister in 1999; again from 2014 to 2019; and since June 2024.
Source: Lok Sabha member record, sansad.in (opens in a new tab); PRS Legislative Research, prsindia.org (opens in a new tab). Checked 19 September 2026.
Twelve dated stations along the record. Scroll the route sideways, or use the arrow buttons.
Born on 22 March 1961 at Kendudihi, Lahunipara, in Sundargarh district, Odisha.
Diploma in Electrical Engineering from U.G.I.E., Rourkela. He also worked for six years with BHEL.
Joins the Bharatiya Janata Party. Before this he had worked in industry and as a trade-union organiser.
Elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly; re-elected in 1995. Member until 1998.
First elected to the Lok Sabha from Sundargarh (12th Lok Sabha).
Re-elected; sworn in on 13 October 1999 as the first Union Minister of the new Ministry.
Re-elected to the 14th Lok Sabha. The first ministerial tenure ends in May 2004.
Not returned to the 15th Lok Sabha. Serves as BJP Odisha State President (2009–11).
Returns to the Lok Sabha; Union Cabinet Minister of Tribal Affairs, May 2014 to May 2019.
Re-elected; Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Defence from 13 September 2019.
Re-elected; sworn in on 9 June 2024 and assumes charge of the Ministry on 14 June 2024.
Union Cabinet Minister of Tribal Affairs and Member of Parliament for Sundargarh.
Sources: Lok Sabha member record; PIB releases of 14 June 2024 (PRID 2025305 (opens in a new tab)). Ministerial dates for 2014–2019 are given to the month; the Lok Sabha record lists 27 May 2014 to 25 May 2019.
Sundargarh has returned him to the Lok Sabha six times since 1998. The band below shows each term, the three ministerial tenures, and his chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Defence.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal ministry for policy planning and coordination of programmes for Scheduled Tribes. Most programmes are delivered with State Governments, other Union ministries and community institutions, so outcomes are shared, not individual.
04 — Education
Statement laid in Parliament by the Minister, 13 August 2026. PIB, PRID 2298789 (opens in a new tab)
Education and EMRS05 — Livelihoods
₹642.19 crore sanctioned under PMJVM and PM-JANMAN. Statement laid in Parliament, 13 August 2026. PIB, PRID 2298790 (opens in a new tab)
Livelihoods and Van DhanReading these figures. They describe national programmes run by the Ministry with States, federations and communities. They are official programme data, not personal achievements.
Sixteen further pages, each built as a standalone reference with its sources.