Ravi Shankar Prasad
Encyclopedia
Ravi Shankar Prasad is an Indian
lawyer and politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP). He represents Bihar
in the Rajya Sabha
, the upper house of the Parliament of India
. He held the title of Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal and Mines, the Ministry of Law and Justice, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting during the National Democratic Alliance
government.
family of Patna
, Bihar. His father Thakur Prasad was a Senior Advocate
at the Patna High Court
and one of the founders of the Jan Sangh, which is now the BJP. Ravi Prasad earned BA Hons, MA (Political Science) and LLB degrees from Patna University. He married Maya Shankar on February 3, 1982. Maya is a professor of history at Patna University.
Prasad began his political career as a student leader in the 1970s organising protests against Indira Gandhi
's government. He worked in the student movement in Bihar under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan
and was imprisoned during the Emergency. He was associated with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
for many years and held various posts in the organisation. During his college days he was Assistant General Secretary of the Patna University Students Union and member of the Senate, Finance Committee, Arts and Law Faculties of the University.
since 1980. He was designated Senior Advocate at the Patna High Court in 1999 and Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India
in 2000.
Prasad was the main lawyer arguing the Public Interest Litigation
against former Bihar Chief Minister and Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav in the Fodder scam
and Bitumen scam cases. He has represented former Deputy Prime Minister
L. K. Advani and the Bihar Banking Service Recruitment Board before the Patna High Court. His high-profile cases include the Landmark Narmada Bachao Andolan Case, T. N. Thirumpalad v. Union of India, Rameshwar Prasad v. Union of India (the Bihar Assembly Dissolution Case), and Yash Pal
's case on medical education in India.
In 2010, Prasad was a lawyer in the longstanding Ayodhya title suit.
A.B. Vajpayee
. Soon after taking over, Prasad accelerated the reforms process in the mining and coal sectors.
Prasad was given the additional charge of Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice in July 2002. Within a fortnight he had prepared a bill amending the Representation of People Act. He sped up the process of fast-track courts.
As Minister of Information and Broadcasting he initiated reforms in the radio, television and animation sectors. He helped establish Goa
as the location of the International Film Festival of India
.
In April 2002, he led the Indian delegation to the Non-Aligned Movement
's ministerial meet in Durban
, South Africa
. Later he met Yasser Arafat
in Ramallah
as a member of a Non-Aligned delegation to express solidarity with him. He led the Indian delegation to the Commonwealth Law Minister Summit in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
. He has led the Indian delegation to film festivals in Cannes
, Venice
and London
.
Since 1995 Prasad has been a member of BJP National Executive, the party's top policymaking body. Recently, he oversaw the party's efforts in the Uttarakhand
Assembly Elections.
Prasad became a national spokesperson of the BJP in 2006 and was elected to the Rajya Sabha
from Bihar in the same year. He was appointed as the Chief National Spokesperson of the BJP in 2007. In 2010, Prasad was appointed as the General Secretary of the BJP.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
lawyer and politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
(BJP). He represents Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
in the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
, the upper house of the Parliament of India
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
. He held the title of Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal and Mines, the Ministry of Law and Justice, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting during the National Democratic Alliance
National Democratic Alliance (India)
The National Democratic Alliance is a centre-right coalition of political parties in India. At the time of its formation in 1998, it was led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and had thirteen constituent parties. Its convenor is Sharad Yadav, and its honorary chairman is former prime minister Atal...
government.
Early life
Prasad was born into a prominent KayasthaKayastha
Kayastha or Kayasth or Kayeth is a caste or community of Hindus originating in India. Kayastha means "scribe" in Sanskrit, and has traditionally denoted members of the writer caste....
family of Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
, Bihar. His father Thakur Prasad was a Senior Advocate
Senior Counsel
The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel is given to a senior barrister or advocate in some countries, typically equivalent to the title "Queen's Counsel" used in Commonwealth Realms...
at the Patna High Court
Patna High Court
Patna High Court is the High Court of the state of Bihar. It was established on 3 February 1916 and later affiliated under the Government of India Act, 1915. The court is headquartered in Patna, the administrative capital of the state.-History of Court:...
and one of the founders of the Jan Sangh, which is now the BJP. Ravi Prasad earned BA Hons, MA (Political Science) and LLB degrees from Patna University. He married Maya Shankar on February 3, 1982. Maya is a professor of history at Patna University.
Prasad began his political career as a student leader in the 1970s organising protests against Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
's government. He worked in the student movement in Bihar under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan , widely known as JP Narayan, Jayaprakash, or Loknayak, was an Indian independence activist and political leader, remembered especially for leading the opposition to Indira Gandhi in the 1970s and for giving a call for peaceful Total Revolution...
and was imprisoned during the Emergency. He was associated with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad , is an all India student organization working in the field of education. ABVP was founded in 1948 and formally registered on 9 July 1949.-History:...
for many years and held various posts in the organisation. During his college days he was Assistant General Secretary of the Patna University Students Union and member of the Senate, Finance Committee, Arts and Law Faculties of the University.
Law career
Prasad has been practising at the Patna High CourtPatna High Court
Patna High Court is the High Court of the state of Bihar. It was established on 3 February 1916 and later affiliated under the Government of India Act, 1915. The court is headquartered in Patna, the administrative capital of the state.-History of Court:...
since 1980. He was designated Senior Advocate at the Patna High Court in 1999 and Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
in 2000.
Prasad was the main lawyer arguing the Public Interest Litigation
Public interest litigation
In Indian law, Public Interest Litigation OR जनहित याचिका means litigation for the protection of the public interest. It is litigation introduced in a court of law, not by the aggrieved party but by the court itself or by any other private party...
against former Bihar Chief Minister and Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav in the Fodder scam
Fodder Scam
The Fodder Scam was a corruption scandal that involved the embezzlement of about from the government treasury of the eastern Indian state of Bihar. Among those implicated in the theft and arrested were then Chief Minister of Bihar, Laloo Prasad Yadav, as well as former Chief Minister, Jagannath...
and Bitumen scam cases. He has represented former Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of India
The Deputy Prime Minister of India is a member of the Indian cabinet in the Indian government. The post is not a constitutional post and seldom carries any specific powers. Generally a Deputy Prime Minister also holds other key portfolios like Home minister or Finance Minister...
L. K. Advani and the Bihar Banking Service Recruitment Board before the Patna High Court. His high-profile cases include the Landmark Narmada Bachao Andolan Case, T. N. Thirumpalad v. Union of India, Rameshwar Prasad v. Union of India (the Bihar Assembly Dissolution Case), and Yash Pal
Yash Pal
Yash Pal is an Indian scientist and educator. He was raised in Pai, Kaithal, Haryana , graduated with a degree in physics from Panjab University, Chandigarh in 1949 and gained a PhD degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1958.Yash Pal has held many positions within...
's case on medical education in India.
In 2010, Prasad was a lawyer in the longstanding Ayodhya title suit.
Political career
Prasad has held several national-level assignments in the youth wing and the main party organisation of the BJP. He became a Member of Parliament in 2000 and became the Minister of State (Coal and Mines) in 2001 under Prime MinisterPrime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
A.B. Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
. Soon after taking over, Prasad accelerated the reforms process in the mining and coal sectors.
Prasad was given the additional charge of Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice in July 2002. Within a fortnight he had prepared a bill amending the Representation of People Act. He sped up the process of fast-track courts.
As Minister of Information and Broadcasting he initiated reforms in the radio, television and animation sectors. He helped establish Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
as the location of the International Film Festival of India
International Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India , founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually in the beach town of Goa, in the Western Coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of...
.
In April 2002, he led the Indian delegation to the Non-Aligned Movement
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
's ministerial meet in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Later he met Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
in Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
as a member of a Non-Aligned delegation to express solidarity with him. He led the Indian delegation to the Commonwealth Law Minister Summit in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean....
. He has led the Indian delegation to film festivals in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Since 1995 Prasad has been a member of BJP National Executive, the party's top policymaking body. Recently, he oversaw the party's efforts in the Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
Assembly Elections.
Prasad became a national spokesperson of the BJP in 2006 and was elected to the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
from Bihar in the same year. He was appointed as the Chief National Spokesperson of the BJP in 2007. In 2010, Prasad was appointed as the General Secretary of the BJP.