One of the exemplars of hard work and commitment, Mr. Sharad Yadav, was born in a farmer’s family in the Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh on July 1, 1947.
He is an Indian politician with a revered public career spanning over 45 years. A Gold Medalist in engineering, Mr. Yadav completed his education at Jabalpur Engineering College. Besides his studies, Mr. Yadav had a keen interest in politics from the initial days as he became the President of the Students Union, Jabalpur University in 1971. He has been politically active throughout his college life, citing it as an influential and important phase of his life to understand the nuances of the socialist structure and its ideologies. Thoroughly motivated by the regarded ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, Baba Saheb Ambedkar, and Mahatma Phule, he has participated in several mass movements and students’ revolutions, working for the underprivileged and downtrodden people of the society, which has led him to become the Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from three states: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Elected to the Lok Sabha six times, he has also been a Rajya Sabha member for four terms. His indomitable determination for working for the poorest of the poor, farmers, and even for causes like unemployment and corruption, got him imprisoned in different jails of Jabalpur yet he is a key figure in the implementation of the iconic Mandal Commission (1979) and the Women's Reservation Bill. Mr. Yadav’s persona has been polished by several important political agitations and revolutions. A man of unparalleled experience in governance, Mr. Yadav has established himself as a dignified politician for youth and national political parties. Serving as the President of National Yuva Janata (Janata Party, 1978), then President, National Yuva Lok Dal(1980); he was finally elected as the president of the Janata Dal (United) in 1997, which was a combined force to oppose the Indian National Congress.
Actively advocating for Caste Census governance in the country, Mr. Yadav has always stood up against caste inequalities and has wanted a more inclusive social structure for people belonging from different backgrounds.