Anand Sharma is an Indian politician. He is a former Union Cabinet Minister responsible for Commerce, Industry and Textiles. He served as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India, from June 2014 to 2022 on an Indian National Congress ticket. In August 2022, he came into the limelight after he stepped down as the chairman of the Indian National Congress’s managing committee in Himachal Pradesh after fifty-one years of service.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Anand Sharma was born on Monday 5 January 1953 (age 69; as of 2022) in Shimla, Punjab, India (now Himachal Pradesh, India). His zodiac sign is Capricorn. In 1973, he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree from RPCSDB College, Shimla. In 1977, he obtained his LL.B degree from the Faculty of Law, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. He actively participated in the Indian youth movement during his college days and also served as a leader of several prominent student unions. He was part of the NSUI Foundation Group, which is the crucial student wing of the Indian National Congress Party. Later, after joining the Indian National Congress, he served as the President of the Indian Youth Congress.
Anand Sharma (folded arms) with former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′7″
Hair color: salt and pepper
Eye Color: Black
family
parents and siblings
Father’s name is PA Sharma and mother’s name is Prabha Rani.
wife and children
On 23 February 1987, he married Zenobia Sharma, a non-practicing doctor.
Anand Sharma (Extreme Left) and his wife met former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi
The couple has two sons.
Address
His permanent address is Prabhat Lodge, (Anand Bhawan), Kelston, Shimla – 171001.
signature
Signature of Anand Sharma
Career
From 1984 to 1986, he served as a member of the Committee on Petitions in the Rajya Sabha from Himachal Pradesh. From 1985 to 1988, he served as a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Lok Pal Bill. From 1987 to 1988, he served as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Defense (India). Between 1988 and 1990, he served as a member of the Committee on Government Assurances and as a member of the Press Council of India. From August 2004 to January 2006, he worked as a member of the Standing Committee on Defense of the Parliament. From October 2004 to January 2006, he served in the Ministry of External Affairs (India). On January 29, 2006, he was appointed as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and worked until May 22, 2009. He was appointed as the Minister of Commerce and Industry by the Government of India on 22 May 2009 on an Indian National Congress ticket. He worked in this position until May 26, 2014. While in the Commerce Ministry, he focused on boosting India’s manufacturing sector by making huge investments while reducing the cost of credit. He was instrumental in drafting the Indo-US Global Compact on Nuclear Cooperation in 2008. In February 2012, he led a business delegation organized to improve trade relations between India and Pakistan. More than 120 leaders of the two countries attended this meeting of the delegation. At the conference, he focused on modifying the existing bilateral visa agreement to facilitate easy travel of bona fide businessmen of both countries. This agreement was earlier signed in 1974 with Pakistan’s former Minister of Commerce and Chambers, Makhdoom Muhammad Amin Fahem.
Makhdoom Muhammad Amin Fahim with Anand Sharma
When he was the Minister of Commerce and Industry Department of India, he boosted several foreign investments in India by developing several new manufacturing policies. In 2011, he supported the implementation of India’s first National Manufacturing Policy (NMP), designed to advance India’s manufacturing sector to grow it from 16 to 25 percent of GDP and create 100 million skilled jobs over the decade. Soon after the formulation of this policy, the Government of India established Greenfield Integrated Manufacturing Cities and sixteen NIMZ-National Investment and Manufacturing Zones across the country. He later emphasized on allowing FDI in India’s defense and civil aviation sectors. He also focused on allowing one hundred percent foreign direct investment in retail and implemented a policy to allow foreign investors to open multi-brand retail stores in India.
Anand Sharma with other leaders of the Indian National Congress Party during a political rally
After that, under his leadership. Government of India has implemented e-Biz project conceptualized to improve business and investment situations in the country. During his tenure as India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, India became a favorite hub for many foreign investors after the global economic crisis. According to reports, India earned USD 190 billion from foreign direct investment during this period. According to some media sources, he tried to increase the optimistic dividends for the country and India’s commodity exports by making many changes in the foreign trade policy from 2010 to 2014 and helped to earn almost double the profits than before. In December 2013, he played an important role at the IX WTO Ministerial Meeting in Bali in defending the rights of India and other developing countries to public stocks of foodgrains for food security in their respective countries. This led to the approval of the Ministry of Bali’s first agreement with the WTO, including the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).
Anand Sharma at the Foreign Delegation Conference in Bali in 2013
In 2014, he addressed an international conference in Delhi organized to mark the 125th birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. From 5 July 2010 to 9 March 2016, he served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from the constituency of Rajasthan. From 3 April 2016 to 2 April 2022, he served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from the constituency of Himachal Pradesh. From 8 June 2014 to 2 April 2022, he served as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Literary works
Apart from politics, he enjoys writing books on Indian history and its famous Indian politicians. In 2007, he published his first book titled Gandhian Way. In 2011, he released another book titled A Nation’s Journey. In 2016, he wrote the book “Remembering Jawaharlal Nehru”. In 2017, he released the book “Indira of India”.
Awards, honors, achievements
On November 10, 2008, he was awarded a Companion of the Order of the Volta in Ghana. On January 14, 2009, he received the award of Commander of the National Order of the Ivory Coast. In 2012, he was awarded a special award for his contribution to strengthening India-South Africa relations on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the first arrival of Indians in South Africa.
Assets/Properties
movable assets
- Deposits in banks: Rs. 3,01,58,000
- Bonds, Bonds and Shares: Rs. 2,00,000
- NSS, Postal Savings: Rs. 24,24,000
- LIC or other insurance policy: Rs.12,00,000
- Motor Vehicles: Rs. 11 10,000
real estate
- Non-agricultural land: Rs. 45,00,000
- Residential buildings: Rs. 1,96,00,000 ((my Neta)
Net worth
As of 2019, it has Rs. 3.01 crores. ((my neta)
Note: Net worth excludes cash and bank deposits.
Facts/Trivia
- In 2020, INC G-23 leaders wrote an explosive letter to Indian National Congress President Sonia Gandhi. He was among the leaders who raised his voice to demand major organizational changes in the party. In the letter, Anand Sharma wrote that the INC party leaders were his co-owners and not slaves. he wrote
We are the builders of this Congress. We are co-owners, not tenants and slaves… When we raise certain issues, why are they condemning us?’
Anand Sharma while attending a conference of the Himchal Pradesh Congress Committee
- Anand Sharma is associated with several Indian social and sports associations and is a frequent contributor to an Indian government non-profit organization working in the nation’s disability sector.
- According to Anand Sharma, he enjoys playing cricket, hiking, traveling to remote places and reading books on philosophy and history in his spare time. In a media talk, he said that he loved listening to music, especially Indian and Western classical music.
- On 21 August 2022, he resigned from the chairmanship of the managing committee of the Himachal Pradesh unit of the Congress. In a media conference, he pointed to the higher authorities of INC for defamation and humiliation. He said in a conversation with the media that although he worked for the party all his life, he was hurt and humiliated. He added that he was never invited to major party meetings. He spoke
I’m not saying I’m the only one…we all have challenges. I’ve had issues over the years that I could fall back on: about my autistic son.” “I gave up my profession, I gave up my life. I don’t need to curse. I am deeply humbled and humiliated. IM sorry.”
An old picture of Anand Sharma with Sonia Gandhi
Categories: Politics
Source: dienchau2.edu.vn
