Profile: Know all about Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu

Amid huge expectations, the Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu is all set to present NDA government's second Railway Budget 2016 today (Thursday, Feb 25).

Here let's take a look at some interesting facts about 61-year-old banker-cum-lawyer-cum-politician Suresh Prabhu's life:

Political Career

• Before being inducted into the cabinet of Modi government on Sunday, Nov 9, 2014, technocrat Prabhu was associated with Shiv Sena.
• In the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA-I government, Prabhu served as the Power minister, where he won kudos for imparting a new dynamism to the functioning of power ministry.
• During 1998 to 2004, Prabhu, who was rated amongst its best performers, has sevred as Industry Minister, Minister of Environment and Forests, Minister of Fertilizers & Chemicals, Power, Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises.
• From 1996 to 2009, Prabhu represented the Rajapur Lok Sabha constituency in coastal Konkan four times. He lost his seat in the 2009 general election, when the UPA was voted to power for a second time.
• In 2003, Prabhu was credited for enacting the Electricity Act.
• Soft-spoken Prabhu was also appointed as Modi's 'sherpa' to assist the Prime Minister at the G20 summit in Brisbane.
• Prabhu's decision to call of his visit to Wharton School as a mark of protest against the cancellation of Modi's keynote address at the Wharton India Economic Forum 2013 won him admirers.
• Prabhu also served as chairman of task force for the inter-linking of rivers project, which was close to Vajpayee's heart, and which could resolve the twin problems of droughts and floods that perpetually plague India.
• He was elected a member of the World Bank parliamentary network and nominated as the Chairman of the South Asia Water conference.
• Considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he was recently head of a high-level Advisory Group for Integrated Development of Power, Coal and Renewable Energy for reforms in the power sector, and is working on or is a member of over a dozen major international organisations and panels.

Education

• After completing his schooling from Sharadashram Vidya Mandir, Dadar, Mumbai, Prabhu pursued his graduation from in B.Com Honours from ML Dahanukar College, Vile Parle, Mumbai. Besides, he also accomplished Bachelors in Law degree from the New Law College, Mumbai.
• He is a professional Chartered Accountant and also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
• Amidst all this, Prabhu has found time to indulge in some more academics - pursuing two doctorates simultaneously, one on Public Finance from Mumbai University and the other from Berlin University on Climate Change.

Personal Life

• Born on July 11, 1953, Prabhu, who hails from Mumbai, is married to Uma Prabhu, who is a journalist and the couple has a son Ameya Prabhu.
• Besides being a seasoned politician, Prabhu also runs an NGO named Manav Sadhan Vikas Sanstha (MSVS), since 1998, that works towards empowerment of people.
• The family mostly lives in Mumbai.