Vayalar Ravi Biography

Born on 4th June 1937, Vayalar Ravi is an Indian politician and currently the Union Cabinet Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and a member of the Rajya Sabha. He also served as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President. He is a bachelor of law and a postgraduate.

Vayalar Ravi was born in Vayalar, Kerala. His father Mr. M.K Krishnan was a veteran freedom fighter and a social activist. His mother Mrs. Devaky Krishnan was a congress leader of Kerala and the President of Kerala State Mahila Congress. In 1969, Vayalar Ravi married Mercy and has two daughters and a son. His wife passed away in September 2009 following a kidney failure.

Vayalar Ravi started his political career in early 1960s as the founder President of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the students’ wing of Indian National Congress in Kerala.

The 1969 Congress split made him a well-known figure as a ‘Young Turk’. In 1971, he was elected to the 5th Lok Sabha from Chirayinkil in Thiruvananthapuram district and in 1977 was re-elected to the 6th Lok Sabha and served there till 1979.

In 1982, he was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly and served as the Home Minister of Kerala till 1986 before resigning from that post due to a disagreement with the Chief Minister. In 1987, Ravi was re-elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly and served there till 1991. He was twice elected to the Rajya Sabha, once in July 1994 and then again in April 2003.

On 30 January 2006, Vayalar Ravi became the Union Cabinet Minister for Overseas Affairs and following the 2009 Congress reelection he was re-introduced to the Cabinet and retained the post of Overseas Indian Affairs. On 19 January 2011, he was given the extra responsibility of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

On August 21, 2012 Vayalar Ravi assumed charge as the Minister for Science and Technology. Taking responsibility, he focused on the importance of Science and Technology in the nation’s growth.

Positions held:

1971-77: Member of the Fifth Lok Sabha
1977-79: Member of the Sixth Lok Sabha
1982: as the Home Minister of Kerala
1982-91: as the Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly
1994: Elected to Rajya Sabha
2003: Elected to Rajya Sabha
June 2003-Feb 2004: Member, Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture
June 2003-July 2004: Member, Committee on Petitions
Aug 2003-June 2006: Member, Rubber Board Member, Coir Board
Aug 2004-Jan 2006: Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development
Oct 2004-Jan 2006: Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Civil Aviation & Member, General Purposes Committee
29 Jan 2006: onwards Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs
6 April 2008 to 22 May 2009: Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
April 2009: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
19 Jan 2011-18 Dec 2011: Minister of Civil Aviation
10 Aug 2012 onwards: Minister of Earth Sciences and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
21 August 2012: onwards Minister for Science and Technology.