Prem Sai Singh Tekam (born 14 September 1954) is an Indian politician hailing from

Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...

, India. He is presently serves as the Member of the Legislative Assembly from Chhattisgarh's Pratappur assembly constituency, a position he has held since 2018. Tekam is affiliated with the Indian National Congress. He assumed the responsibilities of the Education Minister of Chhattisgarh in 2018 and continued in that capacity until his resignation in July 2023. He also served as the Minister of Scheduled Castes and Tribal Welfare, Minister of Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare, Minister of School Education, and Minister of Co-operation in the Chhattisgarh state government. In July 2023, he was appointed as the Chairman of the State Planning Commission and he retained the status of a cabinet minister in Chhattisgarh.

Education

He graduated with a B.A.M.S. degree from Govt Ayurvedic College Raipur (Pt. Ravi Shankar College Raipur) in 1980.

Career

He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the first time in the year 1980, followed by winning assembly elections in 1985, 1993, 1998, and 2018. In 1993, he was appointed as the minister handling the portfolio of Water Resources and Legal Legislative Affairs Department in Government of Madhya Pradesh. In 1995, he was appointed as the minister of the Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh. He served as the minister of Revenue and Rehabilitation in the MP government from 1999 to 2000. In 2000, he became a cabinet minister, overseeing the portfolios of Agriculture, Cooperation, Animal Husbandry, and Fisheries in the

Government of Chhattisgarh Government of Chhattisgarh also known as the State Government of Chhattisgarh, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh and its 33 districts. It consists of an executive, led by the ...

. From 2018 to 2023, he held the position of Education Minister in the

Baghel ministry The Bhupesh Baghel ministry is the Council of Ministers in 5th Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly headed by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Bhupesh Baghel (born 23 August 1960) is an Indian politician serving as the third and current Chief Ministe ...

Controversies

In September 2022, Prem Sai Singh Tekam made a controversial remark, suggesting that liquor unites people, during a de-addiction campaign program where he was invited to address the audience. While referencing '' Madhushala'', a poem by poet and writer

Harivansh Rai Bachchan Harivansh Rai Bachchan (; 27 November 1907 19 December 2002) was an Indian poet and writer of the Nayi Kavita literary movement (romantic upsurge) of early 20th century Hindi literature. He was also a poet of the Hindi Kavi Sammelan. He is be ...

, he defended alcohol and declared that people should exercise greater self-control. A video of his statement widely circulated on social media and it garnered criticism.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tekam Singh, Prem Sai Indian National Congress politicians Chhattisgarh MLAs 2018–2023 Indian National Congress politicians from Chhattisgarh 1954 births Living people