Shri T.R. Baalu, Union Minister for Environment & Forests, was born on 15 June, 1941 at Thalikottai in the Thiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu.

A science graduate from Madras University, Shri Baalu completed his engineering from the Central Polytechnic, Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

Profession-wise, Shri Baalu is a multi-dimensional professional as he has been an engineer, an industrialist and a political and social worker as well.

He has held several political posts since he started his political career four decades ago. From 1957 onwards, he has been a member of Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (DMK). During the period ranging from 1982 to 1993, he acted as the Secretary of DMK’s Madras City District Unit. He also held the positions of a member of the Rajya Sabha, the Public Accounts Committee and the Committee on Rules (Rajya Sabha) from 1986 to 1992. He was elected to the 11th Lok Sabha in 1996 and was the Union Minister of State, Petroleum and Natural Gas, from 1996 to 1998.

In 1998, he was re-elected for the second term to the 12th Lok Sabha. During 1998-99, he was a Member of the Committee on Railways and also Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs.

He was elected for the third term to the 13th Lok Sabha this year and became the Hon’ble Union Minister for Environment & Forests in October 1999.

Apart from politics, the Union Minister considers cricket as his favourite pastime and recreation.