George Kurian, Minister of State for Minority Affairs, steps down; President Droupadi Murmu accepts resignation

Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian on Tuesday stepped down from the Union Council of Ministers following the completion of his Rajya Sabha tenure.

The move comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chose not to field him again in the recent upper house elections.

In addition to the Minority Affairs portfolio, Kurian had also been serving as Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

President Droupadi Murmu has accepted his resignation, according to a statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.

According to the official communiqué, the President of India, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has accepted George Kurian's resignation from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect.

“The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Shri George Kurian from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan mentioned in a statement.

Kurian, who is believed to have been the only Christian member of the Union Council of Ministers, completed his Rajya Sabha term on June 21.

He and fellow Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu were not renominated by the BJP for the Rajya Sabha elections held on June 18, despite their terms nearing completion.

Who is George Kurian?

George Kurian, 65, is a veteran BJP leader who has been associated with the party since its inception in 1980. A lawyer by profession, he practised in the Supreme Court of India and later served as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Over the years, he also contested several Kerala Assembly elections.

Before joining the Union government, Kurian held the position of vice-chairman of the National Commission for Minorities. He also served as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to O Rajagopal during the latter's tenure as Minister of State for Railways.

Kurian is a native of Nambiakulam in Ettumanoor, Kerala, and completed his schooling and higher education in Kottayam district. He belongs to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and is a Christian by faith. Kurian is married to Lt. Col. OT Annamma, a former nursing officer of the Indian Army who has since retired from service. The couple has two children, Adarsh George Pockaran and Akash George Pockaran.

He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree as well as a Master's degree in Arts. Trained as a lawyer, he has practised before the Supreme Court of India.

In 2016, George Kurian contested the Kerala Assembly election from the Puthuppally constituency as a BJP candidate but was defeated by then Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy of the Congress.

On June 9, 2024, he was inducted into the third Modi government as Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, as well as Minority Affairs.

Subsequently, Kurian was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh.