The lawyer who navigated India's digital and judicial frontiers
In short: From student protests to the highest levels of government, Ravi Shankar Prasad has shaped modern India. As a key minister, he oversaw the repeal of 1,500 archaic laws and spearheaded the Digital India programme, navigating intense friction between the executive branch and the judiciary.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, born in Patna, Bihar, on 30 August 1954, has been a central figure in Indian politics since entering Parliament in 2000. A lawyer by training, he first served in the Rajya Sabha before moving to the Lok Sabha. His political journey was shaped by the student movements of the 1970s led by Jayaprakash Narayan, during which he was imprisoned during the Emergency.
As a Cabinet Minister under Narendra Modi, Prasad held several critical portfolios. He served as Minister of Law and Justice for over five years across three terms, a tenure second only to Ashoke Sen. His legal leadership was marked by the introduction of the National Judicial Appointments Commission—a reform intended to replace the opaque collegium system, though it was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015 for potentially compromising judicial independence. He also oversaw the passage of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act in 2019.
In the digital realm, Prasad served as the first Minister of Electronics and Information Technology. He was a primary architect of the Digital India programme, which aimed to digitize 15,000 trial courts and expand electronic manufacturing. His tenure was not without tension; he faced significant disputes with social media giants like Twitter and Facebook over local regulations and the implementation of the 2021 IT Rules. Despite these controversies, his influence in digital government was recognized globally in 2018 by the NGO Apolitical.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Ravi Shankar Prasad
- Also: Wikidata — Ravi Shankar Prasad · CC0
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