Paty Ripple Kyndiah represents the Shillong constituency of Meghalaya. He is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India and member of the Indian National Congress (INC) political party. He is presently serving as cabinet minister in Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.

P.R. Kyndiah was born to father Shri Paty Laloo and mother Sandrina Kyndiah on 7th May 1928 in Shillong, Meghalaya. He is married to Gavvy Khyriem and the couple has three sons and two daughters. He graduated at Gauhati University, Guwahati (Assam).

Throughout his political career he held the positions: Member, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly (1970-93), Cabinet Minister, Government of Meghalaya (four times) (1975-88), Leader of Opposition, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly (1979-81), Acting Chief Minister, Meghalaya (1987), Speaker, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly (1989-93), Governor, Mizoram (1993-98), Elected to 12th Lok Sabha (1998) , Member, Committee on Transport and Tourism( 1998-99) , Member, Committee on Public Undertakings( ) , Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Water Resources, Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (2nd term) ( 1999) , Member, Committee on Petitions( 1999-2004) , Member, Committee on Urban and Rural Development, Member, Committee on Estimates( 2000-2001) , Member, Committee on Defence Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Information Technology( 2000-2004) , Re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha( 3rd term)( 2004) , Union Cabinet Minister, Tribal Affairs; Development of North Eastern Region( 23 May 2004 - onwards).

P.R. Kyndiah is actively associated with various social, cultural, educational and sports organizations. He has been an fervent showman of body building movement, associated with health and body building activities over the years; Chief Patron, (i) Meghalaya Body Building Association since 1974 and (ii) Meghalaya Rock Climbing and Mountaineering Association.

From his early days he is associated with Indian National Congress and took active part in the Freedom Movement. He has been one of the pioneers in the struggle for a Hill State of the tribal people in the North East Region, which led to the creation of the State of Meghalaya, 1970. Since 1958, he has been associated with the Indian Red Cross Society and was the Red Cross Chief of Assam and Meghalaya.

In that capacity, he participated in international conferences of the Red Cross and was involved in the massive relief operation organized for the Bangladesh refugees who fled to India from erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971; Municipal Ward Commissioner 1962; Chairman,(i) Municipal Board, Shillong 1967-72; (ii) North East MPs forum (iii) Christian MPs Forum; (iv) Study Group on Bangladesh South Asian Forum; (v) Political Affairs Committee, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee and (vi) High Powered Meghalaya Commission on Resource Mobilisation, 1988-89; Founder-Chairman (i) Meghalaya Co-operative Apex Bank Ltd., Shillong, (ii) Meghalaya Co-operative Urban Bank, Shillong, (iii) Indian Red Cross Society, Meghalaya State Branch.

He also helped in pioneering a number of other co-operative and banking institutions in the State;Co-Chairman, Minority Department, All India Congress Committee; Former Honorary Secretary, Indian Red Cross Society, Assam State Branch; Member, Governing Council, North-Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Shillong, 1998.