Ajit Pai

Ajit Varadaraj Pai (born January 10, 1973) is an American attorney. He served as the Chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 2017 to 2021. He is the first Indian American to hold the office.

Early life
Pai was born in Buffalo, New York. He was raised in Parsons, Kansas. Pai studied at Harvard University and at the University of Chicago.

Early political career
He has served in various positions at the FCC since being appointed to the commission by President Barack Obama in May 2012, at the recommendation of Mitch McConnell. He was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on May 7, 2012, and was sworn in on May 14, 2012, for a five-year term.

Chairman of the FCC
In January 2017, President Donald Trump named Pai as Chairman of the agency.

In March 2017, Trump announced that he would renominate Pai to serve another five-year term at the FCC, which will require confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Before his appointment to the FCC, Pai held positions with the Department of Justice, the United States Senate, the FCC's Office of General Counsel, and Verizon Communications.

On May 18, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission took the first formal step toward dismantling the net neutrality rules.

Pai was confirmed by the U.S. Senate for an extra five-year term as FCC Chairman on October 2, 2017.

He became well known in 2017 in his criticism and attempt to end the Obama-era policy net neutrality. It received wide criticism.

On November 30, 2020, Pai announced his plans to leave the FCC. He resigned from his post as FCC Chairman on January 20, the day that Joe Biden was inaugurated as President of the United States.

References

Other websites

Category:1973 births
Category:Living people
Category:Businesspeople from Buffalo, New York
Category:Politicians from Buffalo, New York
Category:Politicians from Kansas
Category:Businesspeople from Kansas
Category:Republican Party (United States) politicians
Category:Chairmen of the Federal Communications Commission