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Shri Vayalar Ravi
Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and Minister of Civil Aviation

Shri Vayalar Ravi was born in 1937 in Vayalar, a village in Alappuzha District in Kerala, to a middle-class family. Shri Ravi is a Rajya Sabha member and Union Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs. After the last cabinet reshuffle he got the additional charge of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Minister Ravi has also served as AICC (All India Congress Committee) General Secretary and KPCC (Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee) President.

Shri Ravi started his political career as founder president of the party's students' wing in the Kerala Students Union in the early 1960s. He went on to become one of the youngest members of the Congress party's powerful working committee in the 1970s.

Shri Ravi was considered a young and dynamic leader since his entry into politics. He has led the Youth Congress in the State and played a key role along with AK Antony (Former Chief Minister of Kerala) in building Congress as a mass force in Kerala by attracting people from all classes and social groups to the party.

The 1969 split in the Congress made Ravi a nationally-known figure as a 'Young Turk' staunchly backing the left-of-the-centre policies of Indira Gandhi. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1971 and 1977.

Elected to the Kerala Assembly in 1982 and 1987, Shri Ravi served as State Home Minister in 1982 to 1986. A keen trade unionist, Ravi founded several central government staff and PSUs unions and has served on important labour-related panels at the Centre.