Rameshwar Thakur is a member of Indian National Congress, presently serves as the Governor of the state Karnataka of India. He has been a former union minister of India and a former Governor of the state Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. Rameshwar Thakur was born on 28th July 1927 at Thakur Gangti, Godda, Jharkhand. He was educated at Bhagalpur, Patna University, Calcutta University, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, New Delhi and obtained M.A., LL.B, and F.C.A. Professionally he is Chartered Accountant since 1953. He married to Narmada Thakur and the couple has two sons and two daughters.

He has actively participated in Quit India Movement. For that he remained underground for nearly six months in Raj Mahal hills in Santhal Parganas. But he was arrested and sent to Central Jail, DumDum, Calcutta in the year 1946 and was charged the connection with the national movement. The health care, educational upliftment, social reforms and rural reconstruction activities in the Santhal Parganas are the results of Shri Thakur`s active participation in those fields.

Rameshwar Thakur has occupied various important and prestigious positions from time to time. They are:

President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (1966-67)

Indian Fellowship of Former Scouts and Guides, (1982)

Vice-President; All India Bharat Scounts and Guides since 1989

Chairman; Study Group on Banking Costs set up by the Banking Commission, Government of India (1969-71)

Chairman; Thakur Research Foundation, New Delhi

Chairman; Associated Journals Ltd., 1987

Chairman; Asian and Pacific Region since 1988

Director ; Unit Trust of India (4 years)

Director ; Export Credit and Guarantee Corporation (3 years)

Director; Punjab National Bank (1978-82)

Director; Punjab, Haryana and Delhi Chambers of Commerce (3 years)

Member Board of Governors Management Development Institute, Gurgaon

Member Planning Commission`s Committee on Voluntary Participation in Rural Development (1978-79)

Member Central Direct Taxes Advisory Committee

Member Bihar State Planning Board

Member Uttar Pradesh State Planning Board

Member AICTE in Commerce

Member Governing Board, Peoples Action for Rural Development. (Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India)

Member Indian Parliamentary Union Conference at Geneva (1984).

Member Committee of Privileges, Rajya Sabha (1986-90)

Member Public Accounts Committee (1986-89)

Convener of Committee for Profitability (PEP), RBI (1976)

Secretary, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Trust, since 1986.

He led the Indian Delegation to the World Congress of Scouts, Brussels in the year 1964. He has also been the group leader to the International Congress of Accountants, Mexico in the year 1982. He was the leader of Fifty Asia Pacific Gathering, Colombo in 1984. Rameshwar Thakur also headed the Indian Delegation to the 17th General Assembly Coventry, London in1987.

In April 1984, Shri Thakur was nominated to the Rajya Sabha and he was re-elected to Rajya Sabha in April 1990. He was appointed as the Union Minister for Finance (Revenue), Rural Development and Parliamentary Affairs for the term of June 1991 to December 1994. He has also been the founder trustee of Gadadhar Mishra Smarak Nidhi, which is engaged in Rural Development Programme in Dodda District, Santhal Parganas since 1965. He also established a 30-Bed Hospital named as Hari Devi Rural Referral Hospital in 1976 at Vill: Thakur Gangti.