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A. K. Sharma

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Arvind Kumar Sharma
Minister of Urban Development
Government of Uttar Pradesh
Incumbent
Assumed office
25 March 2022
Chief MinisterYogi Adityanath
Preceded byAshutosh Tandon
Minister of Energy
Government of Uttar Pradesh
Incumbent
Assumed office
25 March 2022
Chief MinisterYogi Adityanath
Preceded byShrikant Sharma
Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
31 January 2021
Constituencyelected by Legislative Assembly members
Personal details
Born
Arvind Kumar Sharma

(1962-07-11) 11 July 1962 (age 62)[1]
Mau, Uttar Pradesh, India
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
ResidenceLucknow
ProfessionIAS officer, Politician
WebsiteOfficial website

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

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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

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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

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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]

A K Sharma with Narendra Modi and Saudi Prince
A K Sharma with PM Narendra Modi

Voluntary retirement and entry into politics

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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 functionaries[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

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  1. ^ "Civil List of IAS Officers". dtf.in. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  2. ^ Zee Media Bureau. "PM मोदी के करीबी IAS एके शर्मा को मिली बड़ी जिम्मेदारी, बनाए गए नगर विकास और ऊर्जा मंत्री". zeenews.india.com. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  3. ^ Hindustan, Times. "BJP appoints former IAS officer AK Sharma as vice president of Uttar Pradesh unit". HindustanTimes.com. Archived from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  4. ^ "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 29 June 2021.
  5. ^ "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 29 June 2021.
  6. ^ "New BJP member Arvind Sharma is part of Modi's Mission 2022 in UP". India Today. 17 January 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  7. ^ "PM Modi's Trusted Officer Of 20 Years Joins BJP, May Get Big UP Role". NDTV. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Gujarat cadre IAS officer Arvind Kumar Sharma may be made minister in Yogi govt". Hundustan Times. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  9. ^ GULAM JEELANI. "Who is AK Sharma, ex- bureaucrat who retired to join BJP in Uttar Pradesh". Money Control. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  10. ^ Shashi Mishra. "Gujarat Cadre IAS Arvind Kumar Sharma Know all about him". Navbharat Times. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  11. ^ NEWS18.COM (19 June 2021). "From Gujarat CMO to PMO: How IAS Officer AK Sharma Became 'Modi's Man'". News 18. Retrieved 19 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ FreepressJournal. "Who is AK Sharma? All you need to know about". FreepressJournal. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  13. ^ theprint.com (13 January 2021). "Modi's key man in Gujarat". theprint. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  14. ^ Rajiv Shah (4 January 2013). "Demand for scarce Narmada waters for Dholera special investm A K Sharma". Times of India. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  15. ^ Nivedita Mookerji & Premal Balan. "Vibrant Gujarat man is India Inc's PMO pointsman". Business Standard. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  16. ^ Rahi Gaikwad (31 May 2014). "2 bureaucrats from Gujarat move to PMO". The Hindu. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
  17. ^ "A K Sharma takes charge as MSME Secretary". business standard. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  18. ^ Outlook India. "Gujarat cadre IAS officer joins BJP after taking VRS". Outlook India. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  19. ^ Kumar Anshuman (15 April 2021). "Ex IAS officer and BJP MLC AK Sharma steps in to control worsening Varanasi pandemic". Economic Times. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  20. ^ Pankaj Shah (21 May 2021). "PM Narendra Modi's aide at helm of relief operations in East". Times of India. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  21. ^ Pib. "PM Narendra Modi Kashi COVID response center". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  22. ^ Neetu Chandra Sharma. "PM takes stock of Varanasi infections as caseload continues to climb". Live mint. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  23. ^ timesofindia (20 May 2021). "Prime Minister Narendra Modi praises Kashi model to curb Covid". The Times of India. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  24. ^ Zee Media Bureau. "UP Cabinet Minister Profile: योगी सरकार में कद्दावर मंत्री बनकर उभरे AK Sharma बनाए गए नगर विकास और ऊर्जा मंत्री". navbharattimes.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
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