George Kurian Resigns as Union Minister; President Murmu Accepts Resignation

Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader George Kurian on Tuesday resigned as Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries after the completion of his six-year Rajya Sabha term.

President Droupadi Murmu accepted his resignation with immediate effect. In a statement, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said the President had accepted Kurian's resignation from the Union Council of Ministers on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi under Article 75(2) of the Constitution.

Kurian, 65, had been serving as Minister of State in the third Narendra Modi government since June 2024. He held charge of the Ministries of Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

His Rajya Sabha tenure ended on June 21, necessitating his resignation from the Union Cabinet. Reports suggest he was not renominated for another term following the BJP's disappointing performance in the recent Kerala Assembly elections.

A founding member of the BJP since its formation in 1980, Kurian is also an advocate who has practised in the Supreme Court. Before joining the Union Cabinet, he served as Vice-Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities and as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to former Union Minister of State for Railways O. Rajagopal.

Born on September 20, 1960, in Nambiakulam inKerala's Kottayam district, Kurian completed his schooling in his hometown before pursuing graduation and post-graduation degrees in law.

Apart from Kurian, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, whose Rajya Sabha term is also ending, was not renominated for the June 18 Rajya Sabha elections.