Mangapati Mallipudi Pallam Raju MP |
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Pallam Raju in 2013
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Minister of Human Resource Development | |
In office 28 October 2012 – 26 May 2014 |
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Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
Preceded by | Kapil Sibal |
Succeeded by | Smriti Irani |
Minister of State for Defence | |
In office 22 May 2009 – 27 October 2012 |
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Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
Succeeded by | Jitendra Singh |
Member of Lok Sabha from Kakinada | |
Personal details | |
Born |
Pitapuram, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh |
24 January 1962
Political party | Indian National Congress |
Spouse(s) | Mamatha |
Children | 1 daughter & 1 son |
Residence | Kakinada |
Alma mater | Temple University (MBA) |
Religion | Hindu |
As of 16 September 2006 Source: [1] |
Mallipudi Mangapati Pallam Raju (Telugu: మల్లిపూడి మంగపతి పళ్ళంరాజు) (born 24 January 1962) is an Indian politician and the former Union Minister for Human Resources Development in the Central Government. He is a member of the 9th, 14th and 15th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Kakinada constituency of Andhra Pradesh and is a member of the Indian National Congress.
Pallam Raju was born in Pithapuram, East Godavari of Andhra Pradesh, India. Born into a political family, he is the eldest among two children. His grandfather, Late Mallipudi Pallam Raju was a freedom fighter and his father Shri M.S. Sanjeevi Rao was a Union Minister in the Government of India (1982–1984).
He finished his schooling from Hyderabad Public School (HPS), Begumpet (1971–1979). He is an Electronics & Communications Engineering graduate (BE) from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (1979–1983) and has an MBA from Temple University, Philadelphia, USA (1983–1985).
He was an NCC cadet and a keen sportsman. Pallam Raju represented his school and college in several athletic and football tournaments in the country.
Initial career in computers and information technology
Being an electronics and communication engineer, Pallam Raju started his career in the IT field. He worked in Philadelphia and Boston in the USA and in Oslo, Norway, in the field of Computers and Information Technology. He started his career as a Research Assistant at Temple University, USA (1985–86). He then worked as a Research Associate at the Federal Group Incorporated, a management consulting firm at South Natick, USA from 1986–87. He was a Sales Coordinator for the international operations of a computer company, Norsk Data A.S. at Oslo; Norway. He has also been a successful entrepreneur in IT. In 1999, he started and ran the Indian operations of TTM (India) Private Limited (ASIC Design Services), a US based chip design services company at Secunderabad in Andhra Pradesh till he was inducted as the Minister of State for Defense in the United Progressive Alliance government.
Political career
His entry into politics was circumstantial. Though he came from a political lineage he wasn't encouraged to join politics. Having lost his mother early, he came back to India, end of 1988, when his father had a stroke. The general elections were in 1989 and he was encouraged by the party to contest. The decision was finally his. Then aged 27, he felt there couldn't be a better reason to return to the country.