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| Office | Minister of Urban Development Government of Uttar Pradesh
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|---|---|
| Office | Minister of Energy Government of Uttar Pradesh |
| Office | Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council
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| Term start | 25 March 2022
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| Predecessor | Ashutosh Tandon
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| Born | 1962-07-11 (age 64)[1] |
| Born | Mau, Uttar Pradesh, India
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| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party
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| Website | Template:URL |
Arvind Kumar Sharma (born 11 July 1962) is an Indian politician from Uttar Pradesh, former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and bureaucrat of 1988 batch. He is currently a Cabinet Minister in Uttar Pradesh.[2][3] Before joining politics, Sharma was an IAS officer from Gujarat Cadre of the 1988 batch.[4][5] Sharma was an aide of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, with whom he had worked for 20 years. He was also CEO, Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board and has also managed multiple Vibrant Gujarat summits. He joined the Prime Minister's Office as a Joint Secretary in 2014 and was elevated to the Additional Secretary rank in 2017.[6][7] In 2019, he moved out of the PMO to become a secretary in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises but took voluntary retirement in January 2021.[8]
Early life and education
Arvind Kumar Sharma was born in Uttar Pradesh’s Mau district to Shri Shivmurti Sharma and Shrimati Sharma. He completed schooling from his home district before graduating from Allahabad University. He pursued a master's degree in political science before joining the civil services.[9] [10]
Work in Gujarat
In 1988, Sharma became a civil servant and started his career as an IAS officer with the Gujarat cadre. His first posting was as a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM). In 1995, he took charge as the District Magistrate of Mehsana.[11] After Narendra Modi came to power in Gujarat in 2001, Sharma joined the Chief Minister’s Office as a Secretary and remained there till 2014 before shifting to the Centre.[12] Sharma worked in the Government of Gujarat as District Development Officer in Vadodara, Managing Director of Industrial Extension Bureau, and the CEO of Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB).[13] He set up the Gujarat section of the dedicated freight corridor and Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor as well as Dholera Special Investment Region.[14][15]
Work in PMO
Arvind Kumar Sharma remained as Secretary in Chief Minister’s Office till 2014 when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister. He then joined the PMO as a Joint Secretary in 2014 and was elevated to the Additional Secretary rank in 2017.[16] After his long stint in the PMO, Sharma was entrusted with the charge of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) ministry.[17]
Voluntary retirement and entry into politics
Arvind Kumar Sharma sought retirement in January 2021 from civil services, 18 months before his due retirement. A few days after his voluntary retirement, Sharma joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh.[18]
In 2021 he worked on the COVID-19 epidemic in Varanasi,[19] during which COVID cases in the city were reduced from over 1,000 to under 300. Sharma offered 53,000 medical kits and other aid to manage CSR funds. He also supported other functionariesTemplate:Who of BJP to in COVID mitigation work, and helped authorities to disseminate alternative medicine in the most affected areas.[20] He also led the establishment of the Kashi COVID response center.[21][22][23]
He is currently a cabinet minister in Uttar Pradesh.[24]
References
- ↑ Civil List of IAS Officers. dtf.in. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
- ↑ PM मोदी के करीबी IAS एके शर्मा को मिली बड़ी जिम्मेदारी, बनाए गए नगर विकास और ऊर्जा मंत्री. zeenews.india.com. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
- ↑ BJP appoints former IAS officer AK Sharma as vice president of Uttar Pradesh unit, Hindustan, Times. HindustanTimes.com(19 June 2021). Retrieved 19 June 2021.
- ↑ Why A K Sharma is not just another Gujarat bureaucrat in the PM's circle or just another vice-president in Uttar Pradesh BJP. Indian Express(27 June 2021). Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- ↑ Not end of road for Modi's trusted IAS officer who took VRS, he could play bigger role in govt. The Wire(13 January 2021). Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- ↑ New BJP member Arvind Sharma is part of Modi's Mission 2022 in UP. India Today(17 January 2021). Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- ↑ PM Modi's Trusted Officer Of 20 Years Joins BJP, May Get Big UP Role. NDTV. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- ↑ Gujarat cadre IAS officer Arvind Kumar Sharma may be made minister in Yogi govt. Hundustan Times(15 January 2021). Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- ↑ Who is AK Sharma, ex- bureaucrat who retired to join BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Money Control. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
- ↑ From Gujarat CMO to PMO: How IAS Officer AK Sharma Became 'Modi's Man'. News 18(19 June 2021). Retrieved 2021-06-19.
- ↑ Who is AK Sharma? All you need to know about. FreepressJournal. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
- ↑ Modi's key man in Gujarat. theprint(13 January 2021). Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ↑ Demand for scarce Narmada waters for Dholera special investm A K Sharma. Times of India(4 January 2013). Retrieved 2013-01-04.
- ↑ Vibrant Gujarat man is India Inc's PMO pointsman. Business Standard. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
- ↑ 2 bureaucrats from Gujarat move to PMO. The Hindu(31 May 2014). Retrieved 2014-05-31.
- ↑ A K Sharma takes charge as MSME Secretary. business standard. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
- ↑ Gujarat cadre IAS officer joins BJP after taking VRS. Outlook India. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ↑ Ex IAS officer and BJP MLC AK Sharma steps in to control worsening Varanasi pandemic. Economic Times(15 April 2021). Retrieved 2021-04-15.
- ↑ PM Narendra Modi's aide at helm of relief operations in East. Times of India(21 May 2021). Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ↑ PM Narendra Modi Kashi COVID response center. pib.gov.in. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
- ↑ PM takes stock of Varanasi infections as caseload continues to climb. Live mint(18 April 2021). Retrieved 2021-04-18.
- ↑ Prime Minister Narendra Modi praises Kashi model to curb Covid. The Times of India(20 May 2021). Retrieved 2021-05-20.