List of Rural Development Ministers of India
List of all Rural Development Ministers of India from 1947 to 2026, with their party, dates, and total time in office.
First Minister
Rao Birender Singh
Assumed office 15 Aug 1947
Current Incumbent
Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Serving Union Minister
Unique Ministers
20 Ministers
Post-independence 1947–2026
Longest Tenure
Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (MGNREGA)
Historic milestone service
| # | Minister | Party | From | To | Duration | Constituency | House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |
BS
Bhanu Pratap Singh
|
Janata Party | 30 Jul 1979 | 14 Jan 1980 | 168 days | Uttar Pradesh | Rajya Sabha |
| #2 |
RS
Rao Birender Singh
|
Indian National Congress | 14 Jan 1980 | 29 Jan 1983 | 3 yrs, 15 days | Mahendragarh | Lok Sabha |
| #3 |
BS
Buta Singh
|
Indian National Congress | 31 Dec 1984 | 25 Sep 1985 | 268 days | Jalore | Lok Sabha |
| #4 |
GV
G. Venkatswamy
|
Indian National Congress | 21 Jun 1991 | 18 Jan 1993 | 1 yr, 211 days | Peddapalli | Lok Sabha |
| #5 |
YN
Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu
|
Telugu Desam Party | 1 Jun 1996 | 19 Mar 1998 | 1 yr, 291 days | Srikakulam | Lok Sabha |
| #6 |
BP
Babagouda Patil
|
Bharatiya Janata Party | 19 Mar 1998 | 13 Oct 1999 | 1 yr, 208 days | Belgaum | Lok Sabha |
| #7 |
SP
Sundar Lal Patwa
|
Bharatiya Janata Party | 13 Oct 1999 | 30 Sep 2000 | 353 days | Hoshangabad | Lok Sabha |
| #8 |
VN
M. Venkaiah Naidu PMGSY Launch
|
Bharatiya Janata Party | 30 Sep 2000 | 1 Jul 2002 | 1 yr, 274 days | Karnataka | Rajya Sabha |
| #9 |
SK
Shanta Kumar
|
Bharatiya Janata Party | 1 Jul 2002 | 29 Jan 2003 | 212 days | Kangra | Lok Sabha |
| #10 |
KR
Kashiram Rana
|
Bharatiya Janata Party | 24 May 2003 | 22 May 2004 | 364 days | Surat | Lok Sabha |
| #11 |
RS
Raghuvansh Prasad Singh MGNREGA Architect
|
Rashtriya Janata Dal | 23 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | 4 yrs, 364 days | Vaishali | Lok Sabha |
| #12 |
CJ
C. P. Joshi
|
Indian National Congress | 28 May 2009 | 19 Jan 2011 | 1 yr, 236 days | Bhilwara | Lok Sabha |
| #13 |
VD
Vilasrao Deshmukh
|
Indian National Congress | 19 Jan 2011 | 12 Jul 2011 | 174 days | Maharashtra | Rajya Sabha |
| #14 |
JR
Jairam Ramesh Land Reforms Act
|
Indian National Congress | 12 Jul 2011 | 26 May 2014 | 2 yrs, 318 days | Andhra Pradesh | Rajya Sabha |
| #15 |
GM
Gopinath Munde
|
Bharatiya Janata Party | 26 May 2014 | 3 Jun 2014 | 8 days | Beed | Lok Sabha |
| #16 |
NG
Nitin Gadkari Additional Charge
|
Bharatiya Janata Party | 4 Jun 2014 | 9 Nov 2014 | 158 days | Nagpur | Lok Sabha |
| #17 |
BS
Chaudhary Birender Singh
|
Bharatiya Janata Party | 9 Nov 2014 | 5 Jul 2016 | 1 yr, 239 days | Haryana | Rajya Sabha |
| #18 |
NT
Narendra Singh Tomar PMAY-G Expansion
|
Bharatiya Janata Party | 5 Jul 2016 | 7 Jul 2021 | 5 yrs, 2 days | Morena | Lok Sabha |
| #19 |
GS
Giriraj Singh
|
Bharatiya Janata Party | 7 Jul 2021 | 9 Jun 2024 | 2 yrs, 338 days | Begusarai | Lok Sabha |
| #20 |
SC
Shivraj Singh Chouhan Incumbent
|
Bharatiya Janata Party | 10 Jun 2024 | Present | Serving | Vidisha | Lok Sabha |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the current Rural Development Minister of India?
Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been serving as the Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj since 10 June 2024 in the third Modi ministry.
Who was the architect of MGNREGA in India?
Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh served as Union Minister of Rural Development (2004–2009) and was the primary champion and architect of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Which minister launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)?
M. Venkaiah Naidu served as Union Minister of Rural Development (2000–2002) under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, launching PMGSY to connect all unconnected rural habitations.