Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar: From Wealthiest MP to Union Minister

But this did not stop Chandra Sekhar from showcasing academic prowess; he secured the overall 27th rank out of 60,000 students who appeared for the EAMCET exam in 1993-94. After MBBS at Osmania Medical College, he went for post-graduation and internal medicine in the United States at Geisinger Medical Centre in Pennsylvania, which is a top-ranking institute. But the iron in his soul was tested, as he had to negotiate fresh difficulties of training and accommodation in a faraway alien land.

Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, of the Telugu Desam Party, made news after becoming a Union Minister of State in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term. His induction into office was a landmark event not just for the newly-politically-minded leader but also for the fact that he was the richest MP to ever take charge, with a declared family fortune of more than Rs 5,705 crore. Originating from a humble Burripalem village, he was a student of a Telugu-medium government school, Guntur district.

But this did not stop Chandra Sekhar from showcasing academic prowess; he secured the overall 27th rank out of 60,000 students who appeared for the EAMCET exam in 1993-94. After MBBS at Osmania Medical College, he went for post-graduation and internal medicine in the United States at Geisinger Medical Centre in Pennsylvania, which is a top-ranking institute. But the iron in his soul was tested, as he had to negotiate fresh difficulties of training and accommodation in a faraway alien land.

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The innovator that he is, Chandra Sekhar found a way to help budding medical professionals who were in a similar situation. Collating his training material in a book form, he circulated it amongst students who were preparing to take the Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) and won appreciation at the tender age of 25.

With all his knowledge and a bit more experience under his belt, Chandra Sekhar established UWorld, an online platform that revamped the preparation for medical tests in the US. The slim project received massive acclaim and expanded its horizons to medicine and further to fields of nursing, pharmacy, as well as finance.

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In addition to entrepreneurship, Chandra Sekhar is a social entrepreneur who believes in giving back to society. Through the Pemmasani Foundation, he has gone ahead in Dallas to provide medical care for uninsured NRIs and is also at the forefront of organizing programs that counter water scarcity in Andhra Pradesh's Palnadu district, such as borewell installation and water purification projects. His foundation also provides scholarships for deserving students, a testimony to Chandra Sekhar's belief and commitment to education.

In the best traditions of his professional experience, Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar has been named "Entrepreneur of The Year Southwest Region" in 2020 and is associated with renowned institutions such as the Forbes Business Council and the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin.

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He helped organize the NRI Telugu Desam Party in 2010 and has worked relentlessly since then in sending back his earnings to support the party and garner funds from fellow NRIs for party activities. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar has truly traveled the road of struggle, innovation, and service.

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