Early life
Ravi Shankar Prasad was born in an eminent Kayastha family of Patna, Bihar. He earned BA Hons, MA (Pol Science) and LLB degrees from Patna University. His father, Thakur Prasad, was a distinguished Senior Lawyer at Patna High Court, and one of the founders of the Jan Sangh, which is now the BJP. He married Maya Shankar on February 3, 1982. Maya is a Professor of History at Patna University.
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 ofJayaprakash 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.
Advocacy
Ravi Shankar Prasad is a practising 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 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)andProf. 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. In 2010, Prasad was one of the three advocates in the long lasting Ayodhya title suit. As such he continues to argue matters based on all types of laws in the Supreme Court and various other High Courts all over the country.
Politician
He has held national level assignments in the youth wing and the main party organisation of the BJP over the years. He became a Member of Parliament in 2000 and became the Minister of State (Coal & Mines) in 2001, under A.B. Vajpayee as Prime Minister. Soon after taking over, Prasad accelerated the reforms process in the mining and coal sectors.He is currently the head spokesperson of the BJP.
Prasad was given the additional charge of the Minister of State in the Ministry of Law & Justice in July 2002. Within a fortnight of his joining, he prepared a bill for amending the Representation of People 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 the establishment of Goa as the centre for the 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.
As spokesperson of the BJP
He became National Spokesperson of BJP in 2006 and was elected to Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament from Bihar state in the same year. He was appointed as the Chief national spokesperson of BJP in 2007. He is also a member of BJP National Executive, the top policy making body of the party for last 10 years. He has also been a member of several parliamentary committees. Recently, he was in-charge of the party for Uttarakhand Assembly Elections.
He often presents the official views of BJP on various forums.
Positions 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
