Pradhan manages multiple portfolios, including the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He is the second minister from India’s federal cabinet to test positive.
Pradhan tweeted Tuesday evening that he was tested after showing symptoms.
“After displaying symptoms for Covid-19, I got tested, and the report is positive. According to the advice from my doctors, I have admitted myself to a hospital,” Pradhan wrote.
Pradhan’s positive test has followed a series of politicians, including India’s Home Minister, Amit Shah, who tested positive Sunday and was the first federal cabinet minister to test positive.
The Chief Minister of Karnataka, B. S. Yediyurappa, also announced on his Twitter account Sunday that he had tested positive for coronavirus and was being hospitalized as a precaution.
Some more context: India has recorded a steady uptick in number of cases in the past few weeks. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, more than 52,000 fresh cases were recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the country’s total to about 1.8 million cases.