Biography

Father's Name  		Late Shri P. Dasaratharamaiah

Date of Birth  		14 July 1936

Place of Birth 		Pothunuru, Distt. West Godavari
			(Andhra Pradesh)

Marital Status 		Married on 4 January 1956

Spouse's Name  		Smt. P. Vasundhara

Children       		Three sons and one daughter

Educational Qualifications 

		M.A. (English Literature), Post Graduate Diplomas in Public
		Administration  and Journalism

		Educated at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
		(Andhra Pradesh), University College, Chennai
		(Tamil Nadu) and Indian Institute of Public
		Administration, New Delhi

Profession 	

		Journalist, Political and Social Worker

Permanent Address 	

		Plot No. 319, Road No. 25, Jubilee Hills, 
		Hyderabad-500034

		Tels. (040) 247100, 247000

Present Address

		11, Akbar Road,
		New Delhi-110011

		Tels. (011) 3017686, 3793298

Positions Held 

1983-85		General-Secretary, Telugu Desam Party

1984-96		Member, Rajya Sabha (two terms)

1984-88		Member, Committee on Rules

1984-89 and	Member, General Purposes Committee
1994-96		

1984-91		Leader, Telugu Desam Party in Parliament

1985-96		Member, Railway Convention Committee

1986-90		Member, Business Advisory Committee

1988-91		Secretary, National Front
 
1989-90		Union Cabinet Minister, Parliamentary
		Affairs; and Information and Broadcasting

1994-96		Chairman, Committee on Human Resource Development

1996		Elected to 11th Lok Sabha 

1996-97		Member, Committee of Privileges 

		Member, Business Advisory Committee

		Member, Committee on Defence

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

1998-99		Member, Committee of Privileges

		Member, Committee on Defence and its
		Sub-Committee-II

		Member, Committee on Members of Parliament
		Local Area Development Scheme

		Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of 
		Human Resource Development

Books Published 	

Gatham-Swagatham (in Telugu) on political events during
1982-92

Literary, Artistic and Scientific Accomplishments 

Contributed articles to various newspapers and journals
and a chapter entitled 'The Ramlal Episode' in the book,
"Governor"; Editor of the Railways' English monthly journal,
'Indian Railways', 1974-82

Social and Cultural Activities 

Established a number of educational institutions, libraries and
adult education centres for workers in Calcutta and suburbs,
1961-74; Member, Managing Committee, Andhra Education Society,
Delhi; Founder, Democratic Students' Union, Andhra Pradesh;
Vice-President (i) Andhra Association, Delhi; and (ii) Indian 
Council for Cultural Relations since 1996; and Patron of several 
social and cultural organisations

Special Interests 	

Social service, political lectures, education, culture, 
information and planning

Favourite Pastime and Recreation 	

Reading, music and travelling

Sports and Clubs 	

Member, India International Centre, New Delhi and Goa

Countries Visited 

Widely travelled; Member, Indian Parliamentary Delegation
led by the Hon'ble Speaker, Shri G.M.C. Balayogi, Turkey,
1998

Other Information 

Belongs to 'Freedom Fighters' family; associated with 
and office bearer of a number of social and cultural 
organisations since student days; actively participated 
in the Satyagraha for separate Andhra State and was 
arrested in Bhimavaram in 1952; organised relief 
work by the student groups during Godavari floods, 
1953-54; was actively associated with Consumer
Cooperative Movement in West Bengal for a long time; 
Chairman, Calcutta Wholesale Consumers Cooperative Society 
Ltd. for a year and its Director for six years; was honoured
by (i) West Bengal Government for his role in maintaining 
communal harmony in Calcutta; (ii) conferred three special awards 
by the Government of India for meritorious services; was Joint 
Director, Public Relations, Railway Board and Public Relations
Officer, South Eastern Railway; General-Secretary, (i) Greater 
Calcutta Andhra Samiti; and (ii) North  Regional Committee of the
World Telugu Conference, 1975; and Special Assistant to the 
Minister of Railways, 1977-79