 Anand
Sharma was born in Shimla in the state of
Himachal Pradesh on January 5, 1953. He has been a
prominent leader of the student and youth movement
in India. He was one of the founders of NSUI, the
student wing of the Indian National Congress. After
serving as the state President for Himachal Pradesh
and National General Secretary, he rose to become
the President of the Indian Youth Congress in 1985.
He has worked closely with late Prime Minister Mr
Rajiv Gandhi. He was educated at Shimla and was
first elected to Parliament in 1984 at the age of
31.
Anand Sharma has been a prominent public face of
the Indian National Congress and was Chief Spokesman
of the party for six years. He was elevated to the
Union Council of Ministers with responsibility for
Foreign Affairs in January, 2006. He also assumed
the additional charge of Union Minister of State for
Information & Broadcasting in October 2008.
In addition to his considerable experience in
dealing with the media, Anand Sharma brings to his
Ministerial assignment a vast reservoir of knowledge
in international affairs. He has considerable
experience in representing his party and India at
diplomatic interactions at all levels and has either
led or been a member of delegations to over fifty
countries. He has been a key organizer of several
major international conferences, including the First
Non-Aligned Youth Conference in 1985 in New Delhi
which was attended by delegates from 82 countries,
and has been sent by the Prime Minster of India as
Special Envoy for various sensitive assignments.
Mr Sharma is recognized for his personal
commitment to the struggle against Apartheid in
South Africa. As President of the Indian Youth
Congress, he was instrumental in convening an
International Youth Conference against Apartheid in
New Delhi to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the
African National Congress in January 1987. In
addition to being Chairman of the Indian
Anti-Apartheid Movement, he also chaired the World
Youth Action Against Apartheid. He was appointed to
observe the South African Transition Process and
Elections in 1994 by the Commonwealth
Secretary-General.
Anand Sharma was proactively associated with the
convening of the International Conference, as its
Secretary General, to mark the centenary of the
Satyagraha organized by the Indian National Congress
in New Delhi in January, 2007. The Conference was
attended by representative leadership delegations
from 91 countries and 122 organisations. In
pursuance of the Conference declaration, he moved
India’s Resolution, co-sponsored by 142
member-states, at the UN General Assembly on 15 June
2007, to observe Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday on 2nd
October as the International Day of Non-Violence.
The resolution was adopted unanimously by the UNGA.
Anand Sharma is a lawyer by education and is
well-conversant with parliamentary and legislative
procedures and as a member of the panel of
chairpersons for Rajya Sabha has presided over
sittings of the House.
He is deeply involved in work relating to autism
and disabilities.
Mr Sharma has keen interest in sports and has
been a member of the Sports Authority of India.
Anand Sharma is married to Dr Zenobia Sharma.
They have two children.
His other interests include cricket, hiking,
travelling, reading books on philosophy and history;
listening to Indian and western classical music.
He was conferred “The Order of the Companion of
Volta”, top Ghanaian civilian award by President J
A Koufour on 10 November 2008 in recognition of his
commitment to South-South Cooperation. He was also
honoured with the “Commander of the National Order
of Merit”, highest civilian award by the President
of Ivory Coast on 14 January 2009.
He has been given the responsibility in the Union
Cabinet of India as Minister for Commerce and
Industry. He assumed the charge as Minister on 29th
May 2009
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