Ramdas Bandu Athawale

Ramdas Bandu Athawale is an Indian politician who currently serves as the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in the Government of India. He is also a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, representing Maharashtra, and holds the position of President of the Republican Party of India (Athawale).

By Zainab Ashraf | Monday, June 10, 2024, 09:46:41 AM [IST]

Quick Links

Ramdas Bandu Athawale Biography
Ramdas Bandu Athawale Personal Life
Education Qualification of Ramdas Bandu Athawale
Political Timeline of Ramdas Bandu Athawale
Interesting Facts about Ramdas Bandu Athawale
Ramdas Bandu Athawale Early Life
Ramdas Bandu Athawale Net Worth

Ramdas Bandu Athawale Biography

Ramdas Bandu Athawale was born to Bandu Bapu Athawale and Honsabai Bandu Athawale in Agalgaon, District Sangli (Maharashtra) on 25 December 1959.

His political career began in 1974 when he became associated with the Dalit Panther movement, which aimed to address caste-based discrimination and oppression in Indian society.

From 1990 to 1996, he was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. During this period, he also held key portfolios in the Maharashtra state government, including Cabinet Minister for Social Welfare and Transport, Employment Guarantee Scheme, and Prohibition Propaganda.

In 1990, Athawale founded the Republican Party of India (A), with the 'A' signifying 'Athawale.' The party positioned itself as a voice for the oppressed and disadvantaged sections of society, advocating for their empowerment and welfare.

He served as a Lok Sabha MP from 1998 to 1999, 1999 to 2004, and 2004 to 2009.

His close association with the Republican Party of India led to strong ties with the Indian National Congress. However, he became part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after leaving the NCP-Congress alliance in 2011.

He was appointed as Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in the Indian government in 2016, a portfolio he still holds in the Modi-led NDA government.

Currently, he represents Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha.

Beyond politics, Ramdas Athawale has a special interest in the upliftment of the handicapped, Dalits, the poor, and weaker sections of society.

He is the President of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Foundation and the President of Buddhist Kalawant Academy. He is also the Founder President of the Budh Dhamma Parishad.

Apart from his political and social work, he finds solace in reading, travelling, music, and discussing social and economic problems. In sports, he enjoys playing cricket, volleyball, football, kho-kho, kabaddi, and carrom.

On a personal note, he is married to Seema Ramdas Athawale, and they have one son. His net worth stands at Rs 3,66,59,600.

Ramdas Bandu Athawale Personal Life

Full Name	Ramdas Bandu Athawale
Date of Birth	25 Dec 1959 (Age 66)
Place of Birth	Agalgaon, Distt. Sangli (Maharashtra)
Party Name	Republican Party Of India (a)
Education	12th Pass
Profession	Social Worker
Father's Name	Bandu Bapu Athawale
Mother's Name	Honsabai Bandu Athawale
Spouse's Name	Seema Ramdas Athawale
Spouse's Profession	Housewife
Children	1 Son(s)
Religion	Hindu
Caste	Dalit

Ramdas Bandu Athawale Net Worth

Net Worth

₹3.45 CRORE

ASSETS

₹3.67 CRORE

Liabilities

₹21.41 LAKHS

Education Qualification of Ramdas Bandu Athawale

Ramdas Bandu Athawale studied at Siddharth College of Arts and Science, Mumbai (Maharashtra) from 1972 to 1973.

Interesting Facts about Ramdas Bandu Athawale

Athawale has been editor of a weekly magazine called Bhumika and is a founder member of Parivartan Sahitya Mahamandal.

Political Timeline of Ramdas Bandu Athawale

2024: He continued to serve in the Modi 3.0 cabinet as Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.
2020: He was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha for the second term.
2019: He was inducted into Modi's cabinet as MoS Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
2016: Member, Select Committee of Rajya Sabha on the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016. Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
2015 : Member, Select Committee of Rajya Sabha on the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013.
2014 : Elected to Rajya Sabha. Member, Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Member, Committee on Industry.
2008 : Member, Financial Committee on Estimates.
2007 : Member, Standing Committee on Labour.
2004 : He contested and won the Pandharpur constituency for a second term and defeated Kshirsagar Nagnath Dattatray of the BJP by a margin of over 1,00000 votes. Member, Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture.
2000: Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
1999 : He contested and won the Pandharpur constituency and defeated Kshirsagar Nagnath Dattatray of the BJP by a margin of over 2,00000 votes. Member, Committee on Industry.
1998 : He contested and won the Mumbai-North-Central constituency and defeated Narayan Athawalay of SHS by a margin of over 20,000 votes. President, Republican Party of India. Member, Committee on Transport and Tourism. Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Industry.
1990 : Member, Maharashtra Legislative Council, 1990-96. Cabinet Minister, Social Welfare and Transport, Employment Guarantee Scheme and Prohibition Propaganda, Government of Maharashtra.

Ramdas Bandu Athawale Early Life

1974: He participated in the Dalit Panther movement.

Disclaimer:The information provided on this page is sourced from various publicly available platforms including https://en.wikipedia.org/, https://sansad.in/ls, https://sansad.in/rs, https://pib.gov.in/, https://affidavit.eci.gov.in/ and the official websites of state assemblies respectively. While we make every effort to maintain the accuracy, comprehensiveness and timeliness of the information provided, we cannot guarantee the absolute accuracy or reliability of the content. The data presented here has been compiled without consideration of the objectives or opinions of individuals who may access it.