Biography of Ravi Shankar Prasad

Ravi Shankar Prasad

Ravi Shankar Prasad is an Indian lawyer, politician and the current Union Minister holding the Law and Justice, Electronics and Information Technology and Communications portfolios in the Government of India. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Prasad represents the Patna Sahib. 

Born: 30 August 1954 (age 65 years), Patna

Spouse: Maya Shankar (m. 1982)

Education: Patna University

Party: Bharatiya Janata Party

Office: Member of the Lok Sabha since 2019

Children: Aditya Shankar, Aditi Shanker.

In 2018 according to The Economic Times he features among the top twenty influential world leaders in digital technology and e-government. Under his tenure, India significantly improved digital inclusion coverage in rural areas and his department's work on cybersecurity, data privacy, and several new e-governance activities have been considered as a cornerstone of creating a Digital India.

Prasad was born in Patna, Bihar. His father Thakur Prasad was a senior advocate at the Patna High Court and one of the leading founders of the Jan Sangh, the predecessor of the Bharatiya Janata Party. His sister, Anuradha Prasad wife of Mr Rajeev Shukla is the owner of BAG Films and Media Ltd.

Prasad earned BA Hons, MA (Political Science) and LL.B degrees from Patna University and has a son and a daughter.

Prasad has been practising at the Patna High Court 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 appeared in the Ram Janmabhoomi Ayodhya dispute representing 'Ram Lalla', the deity, in the case. He has represented former Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani and has appeared in several leading cases including Narmada Bachao Andolan Case, T. N. Thirumulpad environment cases, Bihar assembly dissolution case among others.

Prasad began his political career as a student leader in the 1970s organising protests against Indira Gandhi's government and was also jailed when the emergency was imposed by Gandhi's government in 1975. He worked in the student movement in Bihar under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan and was an active volunteer of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He was associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and ABVP for many years and held various posts in the organisations. 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. Prasad has held several national-level assignments in the youth wing and the main party organisation of the BJP. 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.