Ravi Shankar Prasad

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad is a politician from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is presently a Member of the Parliament of India representing Bihar in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. He was the Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal and Mines, Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Prasad is a leading member of the BJP.

Early life

Ravi Shankar Prasad was born in Patna in Bihar on 30 August 1954. He earned B.A. Hons, M.A. (Pol Science) and L.L.B degrees from Patna University. His Father late Shri. Thakur Prasad was a leading and an eminent Senior Lawyer of Patna High Court, and one of the leading founders of the erstwhile Jan Sangh now BJP. He married Shrimati (Dr.) Maya Shankar, who is a Professor of History in the Patna University on February 3, 1982.

He began his political career as a student leader in the 1970s, organizing protests against Indira Gandhi's government. He led the student movement in Bihar under the leadership of Shri Jai Prakash Narayan and was imprisoned during the Emergency. He was associated with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad for many years and held various posts in the organization; during college days, was Assistant General Secretary of the Patna University Students Union and member of the Senate, Finance Committee, Arts and Law Faculties of the University.

As an advocate

Ravi Shankar Prasad is a practicing Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India. He was the main lawyer who argued the Public Interest Litigation against former Bihar Chief Minister and Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav in the infamous Fodder scam and Bitumen Scam cases leading to his arrest. He was lawyer for Shri L.K. Advani, former Deputy Prime Minister in various proceedings in the Patna High Court; attended International Congress on Law and Medicine and on Patent Laws; has argued a large number of cases of public, private and corporate bodies; has been handling cases of major organisations including Railways, Bennett & Coleman, Dabur Company, etc.; was Senior Counsel, Bihar Banking Service Recruitment Board; Some of his cases were the Landmark Narmada Bachao Andolan Case, T.N. Thirumpalad v. Union of India, Rameshwar Prasad v. Union of India (Bihar Assembly Dissolution Case)and Prof. Yashpal's case on Medical Education in India. He started practicing before the Hon'ble Patna High Court since 1980. Prasad was designated Senior Advocate in 1999 by the Full Court of the Patna High Court. He was enrolled in Supreme Court in 2000. As such he continues to argue matters comprising of all types of laws in the Supreme Court and various other High Courts all over the country.

As a politician

He has held national level assignments in the youth wing and the main party organisation of the BJP over the years. He became an M.P. in 2000 and became a Minister of State (Coal & Mines) in 2001 under A.B. Vajpayee as P.M. After taking over as Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal and Mines, Prasad had accelerated the reforms process in the mining and coal sectors. He initiated for reaching professional outlook in the Coal sector. He is the Head Spokesperson of the BJP.

As a minister

Prasad was given the additional charge of the Minister of State in the Ministry of Law & Justice on 01-07-2002 within a fortnight of his joining, he prepared a bill for amending Representation of People’s Act. He speeded up the process of fast track Courts.

As Minister of Information & Broadcasting he initiated reforms in The Radio, Television and Animation Sector and establishment of Goa as the Centre of International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

In April 2002, he was sent as the leader of Indian Delegation in the Non Aligned Ministerial meet in Durban (South Africa). Thereafter, he was sent as the Indian representative to meet Late Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian Leader at Ramallah as a member of Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial delegation to express solidarity with him. He was sent as the leader of Indian Delegation in the Commonwealth Law Minister Summit in St. Vincent (West Indies). He led the Indian delegation to Film festivals in Cannes, Venice and London.

He was sent to UNO to represent India in 61st UN General Assembly in New York in Oct 2006.

As spokesperson of the BJP

He became National Spokesperson of BJP in 2006 and has been re-elected to the Parliament Rajya Sabha from Bihar in April 2006. He was re-appointed as the Chief National Spokesperson of BJP in 2007. He is also the member of BJP National Executive, the top policy making body for last 10 years. He is also Member of various Parliamentary Committees. Recently, he was in charge of the party for Uttaranchal Assembly Elections. In the runup to the Lok Sabha elections 2009, he presents the case of BJP on the various television channels. His often repeated statement is "let me tell you, my good friend"

Position held

• 1991-95 National Vice President, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the Youth Wing of BJP for two terms
• 1995 onwards Member, National Executive, Bharatiya Janata Party
• April 2000 Elected to Rajya Sabha
• May 2000-2001 Member, Committee on Petroleum and Chemicals Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Finance
• 1 Sept. 2001-29 Jan. 2003 Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal and Mines
• 1 July 2002-29 Jan. 2003 Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice (Additional charge)
• 29 Jan. 2003-May 2004 Minister of State (Independent charge) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
• May 2000 - Aug. 2001 and Member, Committee on Rules
• July 2004 - Aug. 2006Aug. 2004 - 2006 Member, Committee on Human Resource Development
• Sept. 2004 - April 2006 Member, Committee on Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (Rajya Sabha)
• Oct. 2004 -2006 Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Finance
• Nov. 2004 onwards Member, Sub-Committee on University and Higher Education of the Committee on Human Resource Development
• March 2006 onwards National Spokesperson, BJP
• April 2006 Re-elected to Rajya SabhaAug.
• 2006 onwards Member, Committee on Information Technology
• Sept. 2006 onwards Member, Committee of Privileges

References

External links

• Ravi Shankar Prasad admitted to AIIMS