Som Parkash

Som Parkash
Union Minister of State, Commerce and Industry, Government of India
In office
30 May 2019 – 4 June 2024
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
23 May 2019 – 4 June 2024
Preceded byVijay Sampla
Succeeded byRaj Kumar Chabbewal
ConstituencyHoshiarpur, Punjab
MLA, Punjab
In office
2012-2019
Preceded bySwarna Ram
Succeeded byBalwinder Singh Dhaliwal
ConstituencyPhagwara
Personal details
Born (1949-04-03) 3 April 1949 (age 75)
Daulatpur, East Punjab, India
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
SpouseAnita Som Parkash
Children2
Parents
  • Hazara Ram (father)
  • Mahon Devi (mother)
Residence(s)Phagwara, Kapurthala

Som Parkash (born 3 April 1949) is a politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Government of India. Parkash was a Member of Parliament from Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha Constituency and a former Member of Legislative Assembly from Phagwara.[1] He is also a former Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar and former Indian Administrative Service career officer of 1988 batch in the Punjab cadre.[2]

Early life and education

Som Parkash was born on 3 April 1949, in Daulatpur, Punjab, to Hazara Ram, his father.[3][4][5] He received his Master of Arts in Economics from Panjab University, Chandigarh.[6]

Indian Administrative Service career

Parkash was part of the 1988 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in the Punjab cadre.[6][2] He began his career as a research officer in the Punjab State Planning Board in 1972.[7] Later, he served as an excise and taxation officer in the Punjab Excise Department.[7] Parkash has also served as the deputy commissioner of Faridkot, Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar and has other posts, including as the Labour Commissioner, Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) chief administrator, managing director of the Punjab Financial Corporation and director of the Social Security Department.[7]

Political career

Parkash first unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha during Indian general elections in 2009 from the Hoshiarpur constituency.[2] Due to corruption charges, sitting Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Phagwara Swarna Ram was dropped from the state cabinet, which led BJP to look for a new candidate and Parkash was selected as the BJP candidate in 2012 Punjab elections. He successfully contested and became MLA from Phagwara. For the next term in 2017, he was again fielded to contest Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections from Phagwara and he won consecutively for the second time

In 2019 General Elections, he was given ticket from Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha Constituency in place of Vijay Sampla and he managed to win that election.[8] In May 2019, Parkash became Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.[9]

Personal life

Parkash is married to Anita Som Parkash and has 2 sons, Sanjeev and Sahil Kainth.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Members of Legislative Assembly - BJP Punjab". Punjab BJP. Archived from the original on 15 March 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "In Phagwara, all parties may turn to former govt officials for Assembly polls". IndianExpress. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  3. ^ "Som Prakash". The Indian Express. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  4. ^ "How parties juggle class, caste & community in Punjab". The Times of India. 1 June 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Som Prakash". Association for Democratic Reforms. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  6. ^ a b Chaba, Anju Agnihotri (25 April 2024). "This former IAS officer gave BJP several wins in Doaba". The Indian Express. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Press Trust of India (31 May 2019). "Former IAS officer and two-time MLA Som Parkash takes oath as first-time MP". India Today. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  8. ^ "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 2012 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF PUNJAB" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  9. ^ "PM Modi allocates portfolios. Full list of new ministers", Live Mint, 31 May 2019
  10. ^ Jagga, Raakhi (16 April 2024). "BJP replaces Union minister Som Prakash with his wife in Hoshiarpur, fields former IAS officer in Bathinda". The Indian Express. Retrieved 4 December 2024.