U. T. Khader Fareed is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka, having assumed office in June 2026. He formerly served as the 17th Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from May 2023 to June 2026.
He previously served as the Cabinet Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, and Urban Development and Housing in the Government of Karnataka.
Khader is a fourth-term MLA representing the Mangalore constituency (previously known as the Ullal) of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
He is a member of the Indian National Congress and was the only Congress MLA to win from the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in the 2018 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election.
He defeated Santosh Kumar Rai of BJP by a margin of 19,739 votes in the 2018 Assembly election.
He defeated Sathish Kumpala of the BJP by a margin of 22,977 votes in the 2023 Assembly election.
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Early life
Khader was born and brought up in Uppala, Kasargod. His mother is Naseema and his father is the Haji U. T. Fareed. He has three brothers and one sister.
Political career
He was the Minister for Health and Family Welfare of Karnataka from 20 May 2013 to 20 June 2016 as part of the Siddaramaiah cabinet.
Khader previously served as the deputy opposition leader of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.