Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan took oath today as the fifteenth Vice President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan, was administered the oath by the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, at a swearing-in ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Shri Radhakrishnan was formerly the Governor of Maharashtra.

After the swearing-in, Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan visited Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi Ji. He also paid tributes to former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Sadaiv Atal, to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya at his memorial at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg and to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh at Kisan Ghat.

Brief Profile of Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan

1. Educational and Professional Background
Born on 4th May 1957 in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Shri Chandrapuram Ponnusami Radhakrishnan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Starting as an RSS Swayamsevak, he became a State Executive Committee Member of the Bharatiya Janasangh in 1974. Before entering public life, Shri Radhakrishnan had a long and successful career as a garment exporter.

2. Parliamentary and Public Life

In 1996, Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan was appointed Secretary of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Coimbatore in 1998 and re-elected in 1999. During his tenure as an MP, he served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Textiles. He was also a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and the Consultative Committee on Finance. Additionally, he was a member of the Parliamentary Special Committee investigating the Stock Exchange Scam.

In 2004, Shri Radhakrishnan addressed the UN General Assembly as part of the Parliamentary Delegation. He was also a member of the first Parliamentary Delegation to Taiwan.

Between 2004 and 2007, Shri Radhakrishnan served as the State President of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. In this role, he undertook a 19,000 km 'Ratha Yatra' that lasted 93 days. The Yatra was organised to highlight his demands for linking all Indian rivers, eradicating terrorism, implementing a uniform civil code, removing untouchability, and combating the menace of narcotic drugs. He also led two additional Padayatras for different causes.

In 2016, Shri Radhakrishnan was appointed Chairman of the Coir Board, Kochi, a position he held for four years. Under his leadership, coir exports from India reached an all-time high of Rs. 2,532 crores. From 2020 to 2022, he was the All India In-Charge of the BJP for Kerala.

On 18th February 2023, Shri Radhakrishnan was appointed Governor of Jharkhand. Within his first four months, he travelled to all 24 districts of the state, interacting with citizens and district officials. He also held additional charge as Governor of Telangana and as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

Since taking charge as Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Radhakrishnan has travelled extensively across the state, interacting with people’s representatives, officials, business leaders, and various sections of society.

3. Personal Details

• Name: Shri Chandrapuram Ponnusami (C.P.) Radhakrishnan
• Father’s Name: Shri Ponnusami
• Mother’s Name: Smt C P Janaki
• Date of Birth: 4 May 1957
• Place of Birth: Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu
• Marital Status: 25 November 1985
• Spouse’s Name: Smt Sumathi R.
• Children: A Son and a daughter

Shri Radhakrishnan has taken a keen interest in enhancing the quality of and access to higher education. He initiated several steps in the field of tribal welfare, focusing on improving their participation in higher education. He closely monitored the progress of the 'School Connect' programme with Vice-Chancellors of 29 state-funded universities in Maharashtra, encouraging tribal girls and boys to pursue higher education.

An avid sportsperson, Shri Radhakrishnan was a college champion in table tennis and a long-distance runner. He also enjoyed cricket and volleyball.

Widely travelled, Shri Radhakrishnan has visited the USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Holland, Turkey, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Egypt, UAE, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Japan.

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MJPS/SR/ST