Hyderabad, June 17 (IANS) J.D. Seelam, who was Monday inducted in the union council of ministers as minister of state, is a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Karnataka cadre.

Seelam, a member of the Rajya Sabha, hails from Bapatla in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. The 60-year-old has been made minister of state for finance.

Jesudasu Seelam did his post-graduation in chemistry and also served as an assistant professor at a college. In 1983 he passed Indian Police Service (IPS) exam and the next year, the IAS exam.

He served in various positions in Karnataka before taking voluntary retirement in 1999.

He joined Congress party but lost the 1999 Lok Sabha election from Bapatla constituency. However, in 2004 he succeeded in getting into Rajya Sabha.

Belonging to Mala community among the the Scheduled Castes, Seelam was given second term as Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh.

He served in various parliamentary committees water resources, social justice and empowerment and welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.