Biography

Father's Name       	Shri S. Ramasamy Thevar                 

Date of Birth       	4 October 1945

Place of Birth      	Muthappanpatti, Distt. Madurai (Tamil Nadu)       

Marital Status      	Married on 8 August 1965

Spouse's Name       	Smt. M. Sakunthala                      

Children            	Two sons and  two daughters

Educational Qualifications  

               	M.Sc.

               	Educated at Thiagarajar College, Madurai (Tamil Nadu)

Profession         

                Agriculturist, Publisher

Permanent Address  

               	Muthappanpatti, P.O. Genjampatti,       
               	Taluk Thirumangalam,                    
               	Distt. Peraiyur (Tamil Nadu)            

               	Tel. (04549) 26255                                                    

Present Address  

		AB-12, Pandara Road,
		New Delhi-110003

Positions Held  

1977-88         Member, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly (three
                terms)

1977-79         Chairman, Committee on Public Undertakings

1978-80         Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of
                Transport

1980-81         Chairman, Estimates Committee

1981-82         Chairman, Committee on Public Undertakings

1983-84         Member, Public Accounts Committee

1985-86         Chairman, Estimates Committee

1986            District Secretary, All India Anna Dravida

onwards         Munnetra Kazhagam (A.I.A.D.M.K.), Tamil Nadu

1988-89         Treasurer, A.I.A.D.M.K., Tamil Nadu

1989            Elected to 9th Lok Sabha

                Member, Business Advisory Committee

1990            Member, Committee on Public Undertakings

                Member, General Purposes Committee

                Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of
                Civil Aviation

                Member, Consultative Committee, constituted under
                Punjab State Legislature (Delegation of Powers)
                Act, 1987

1991-96         Member, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly

                Speaker, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly

1998            Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (2nd term)

19 March 1998- Union Cabinet Minister, Surface Transport
08 April 1998    

1998-99         Convenor, Sub-Committee-C on Department of 
		Consumer Affairs, Committee of Food, Civil Supplies
		and Public Distrubtion

		Member, Business Advisory Committee
         
		Member, General Purposes Committee
		
                Member, Committee on Food, Civil Supplies and
                Public Distribution; and Sub-Committee-D on
		Coordination 

		Member, Committee on Members of Parliament Local
		Area Development Scheme

		Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of 
		Finance

Social and Cultural Activities  

Rural upliftment through ensuring facilities like improved
transport, drinking water and opening of schools, etc.

Special Interests  

Promotion of Tamil language to ensure for it an equal status
with Hindi at the Union level and rural development movements

Favourite Pastime and Recreation  

Reading, sports and games

Other Information  

Participated and was arrested in Anti-Hindi Agitation,
1965 in Tamil Nadu; Chairman, Tamil Nadu Agro-engineering
Cooperative Federation, 1985-88; assoiciated with Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam till 1972; Member, (i) Syndicate, Madurai 
Kamraj University, 1979-85; and (ii) Court, Hyderabad
University, 1990; and Treasurer, A.I.A.D.M.K. at present