Jual Oram (born 22 March 1961) is an Indian Politician who is serving as the 7th Minister of Tribal Affairs since 2024. He also Member of the 17th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Sundargarh constituency of Odisha. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He was also a member of the 12th, 13th, 14th Lok Sabha and 16th Lok Sabha. He was chosen as one of the Cabinet Ministers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Modi does a balancing act He is a former Cabinet Minister in the Government of India. He is now the Vice-President of the Bharatiya Janata Party and is one of the party's senior most leaders from the State of Odisha, being one of two founding Legislative Assembly Members from BJP in the state of Odisha. He has served as the president of BJP in the state of Odisha for over four years. He served as leader of opposition party from BJP side in Odisha legislative assembly. He is now serving as the chairman of the parliamentary committee on defence.
Early life Oram was born on 22 March 1961 into a Oraon tribal family at the village of Kendudihi, Sundergarh district, Orissa (present-day Odisha) to Dilga and Bhutuki Oram. He received a diploma in Electrical Engineering from Utkalmani Gopabandhu Institute of Engineering. Before entering politics, he was employed as an assistant foreman in Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited. In an interview to The Telegraph (Calcutta), Oram said that he would have continued his job in the organization if he had not entered politics.
Political career In 1989, Oram joined Bharatiya Janata Party. He was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Bonai constituency in the following year and served for two terms until 1998. He served as the party's national vice-president for the BJP ST Morcha (Scheduled Tribes wing) between 1993 and 1995. After serving two years as national secretary of the party, he was appointed party president for the state unit in 1997 and remained in that position until 1999.
In 1998, Oram was elected to the Lok Sabha from Sundargarh constituency. He was re-elected to the parliament in the following year. After Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee created the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, he was sworn as its first ever minister on 13 October. In 2004, Oram was re-elected as party president for the state unit and served for two years. On 17 May of the same year, he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha for the third time from his constituency. From 2006 to 2009, he served as the party's national vice-president.
Oram lost from his Sundargarh constituency in 2009. On 22 December 2009, he was made the party president of the state unit for the third time. In July 2012, he alleged that former Chief Minister of Odisha Hemananda Biswal had forged his caste certificate. On 1 April 2013, he was appointed vice president of the party.
On 18 May 2014, Oram was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from the Sundargarh constituency after defeating Dilip Tirkey of the Biju Janata Dal. He was also the only candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party to win from Odisha. On 26 May, he took oath as the Tribal Affairs minister in the Narendra Modi ministry. In the following month, he announced that the central government would create a tribal map of India which would help in introducing new projects and schemes for the tribals.
In 2015, Oram stoked a controversy by equating Sarnaism with Hinduism. Carrying black flags and banners, nearly 300 tribals gathered around the state guesthouse in Ranchi on 31 October and demanded an apology from him for allegedly hurting their sentiments.
Criminal case He is facing a pending criminal case that includes a charge related to a crime against women.
Postions Held 09-Jun-2024 - Union Cabinet Minister of Tribal Affairs
June 2024 Elected to 18th Lok Sabha
21 Nov. 2019 onwards Member, General Purposes Committee, Lok Sabha
13 Sept. 2019 onwards Chairperson, Standing Committee on Defence
May 2019 Re-elected to 17th Lok Sabha (5th Term)
27 May 2014 - 25 May 2019 Union Cabinet Minister, Tribal Affairs
May 2014 Re-elected to 16th Lok Sabha (4th Term)
2012 - 2014 National Vice-President and Member, Central Election Committee, B.J.P.
2009 - 2011 President, Odisha State, B.J.P. (3rd Term)
2006 - 2009 National Vice-President, B.J.P.
5 Aug. 2007 Member, Standing Committee on Social Justice & Empowerment
Member, Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
Member, Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment
2004 Re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha( 3rd Term)
2004 - 2006 President, Odisha State, B.J.P. (2nd Term)
13 Oct. 1999 - May 2004 Union Cabinet Minister, Tribal Affairs 1999 Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (2nd Term)
Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Coal
Member, Standing Committee on Industry
1998-99 Member, Committee on Official Language
Whip, B.J.P. Parliamentary Party (Odisha Group), Lok Sabha
1998 Elected to 12th Lok Sabha
1997 - 99 President, Odisha State, B.J.P.
1995 - 97 National Secretary, B.J.P.
1993 - 95 National Vice-President, S.T. Morcha, B.J.P.
1991 - 93 District Vice-President, B.J.P., Sundargarh, Odisha
1990-98 Member, Odisha Legislative Assembly (Two Terms)
1989 Joined Bharatiya Janata Party (B.J.P.)
Personal life On 8 March 1987, he married Jhingia Oram and they have two daughters. His wife Jhingia Oram died on 17 August 2024 of dengue at age of 58.
See also Indian general election, 2014 (Odisha) Indian general election, 2009 (Odisha) Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency Sundargarh District
References
External links
www.jualoram.com Members of Fourteenth Lok Sabha – Parliament of India website