K. Ponmudy

{{short description|Indian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image =

| name = Dr. K. Ponmayiru

| caption = Dr.K.Ponmudi

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1950|8|19}}

| birth_place = T. Edaiyar, Tirukoilur Taluk, South Arcot district, Madras.

| residence = Villupuram

| office = Cabinet Minister
Government of Tamil Nadu

| minister = Minister for Forests

| term_start = 22 March 2024

| term_end =

| 1blankname = Chief Minister

| 1namedata = M. K. Stalin

| predecessor = Raja Kannappan

| successor =

| term_start1 = 7 May 2021

| term_end1 = 21 December 2023

| 1blankname1 = Chief Minister

| 1namedata1 = M. K. Stalin

| predecessor1 = K. P. Anbalagan

| successor1 = Raja Kannappan

| term_start2 = 13 May 2006

| term_end2 = 15 May 2011

| 1blankname2 = Chief Minister

| 1namedata2 = M. Karunanidhi

| predecessor2 = C. V. Shanmugam

| successor2 = P. Palaniappan

| minister3 = Minister for Transport & Highways

| 1blankname3 = Chief Minister

| 1namedata3 = M. Karunanidhi

| term_start3 = 13 May 1996

| term_end3 = 13 May 2001

| predecessor3 = K. A. Sengottaiyan

| successor3 = Nainar Nagendran

| minister4 = Minister for Health

| term_start4 = 27 January 1989

| term_end4 = 30 January 1991

| 1blankname4 = Chief Minister

| 1namedata4 = M. Karunanidhi

| predecessor4 = P. U. Shanmugam

| successor4 = S. Muthusamy

| office5 = Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly

| term_start5 = 2016

| term_end5 =

| predecessor5 = L. Venkatesan

| successor5 =

| constituency5 = Tirukkoyilur

| term_start6 = 1996

| term_end6 = 2011

| predecessor6 = D. Janardhanan

| successor6 = C. V. Shanmugam

| constituency6 = Villupuram

| term_start7 = 1989

| term_end7 = 1991

| predecessor7 = M. Mani Rajarathinam

| successor7 = D. Janardhanan

| constituency7 = Villupuram

| party = Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

| spouse = Visalakshi{{Cite web |url=http://www.elections.tn.gov.in/Web/Affidavits2011/74/PONMUDI.K.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=17 August 2019 |archive-date=17 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817120213/http://www.elections.tn.gov.in/Web/Affidavits2011/74/PONMUDI.K.pdf |url-status=dead }}

| children = Dr Gowtham Sigamani, Dr Ashok Sigamani{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/political-heirs-on-the-horizon/articleshow/68103488.cms|title = Political heirs on the horizon | Chennai News - Times of India|website = The Times of India}}

| footnotes =

}}

K. Ponmudi (born Deivasigamani K, 19 August 1950) is an Indian politician and the Minister for Forests of Tamil Nadu,{{Cite web |date=2022-08-07 |title=Council of Ministers {{!}} Tamil Nadu Government Portal |url=https://www.tn.gov.in/ministerslist |access-date=2022-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807141316/https://www.tn.gov.in/ministerslist |archive-date=7 August 2022 }} who was disqualified in 2023 after the Madras High Court convicted him in the disproportionate assets case.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-21 |title=Tamil Nadu minister K Ponmudy and wife sentenced to 3 years in jail in disproportionate assets case |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/tamil-nadu-minister-k-ponmudy-jail-disproportionate-assets-case-9077132/ |access-date=2024-01-04 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Radhakrishnan |first=R. K. |date=2023-12-21 |title=DMK Minister Ponmudi sentenced in disproportionate assets case |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/news/dmk-minister-ponmudi-sentenced-by-madras-high-court-for-disproportionate-assets-case/article67662426.ece |access-date=2024-01-04 |website=Frontline |language=en}} He was the Minister for Higher Education of Tamil Nadu from 2006 to 2011.{{Cite web |url=http://www.tn.gov.in/tamiltngov/tnassembly/ministers-tam.htm |title=Council of Ministers, Tamil Nadu, India |access-date=15 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209140322/http://www.tn.gov.in/tamiltngov/tnassembly/ministers-tam.htm |archive-date=9 December 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} He was born in T. Edaiyar in the Villupuram district. He has a bachelor's degree in law, a master's degree in history, political science and public administration and a doctorate in political science. He is an alumnus of Annamalai University.{{Cite web |url=http://annamalaiuniversity.ac.in/alumni_distinguish.htm |title=Welcome to Annamalai University |access-date=15 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119100815/http://annamalaiuniversity.ac.in/alumni_distinguish.htm |archive-date=19 November 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} Before entering professional politics, he was a professor in the Villupuram government college. He has been elected to the Tamil Nadu assembly five times. From 1989 to 1991 during Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam rule he was the Minister for Health, and from 1996 to 2001 he was the Minister for Transport and Highways.{{Cite web |url=http://www.tamiluniversity.ac.in/english/university/pro_chancellor.html |title=Tamil University, Thanjavur, Tamilnadu, India |access-date=15 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107051900/http://www.tamiluniversity.ac.in/english/university/pro_chancellor.html |archive-date=7 January 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}[http://www.assembly.tn.gov.in/disp_ind.asp?prof_id=102 K. Ponmudy profile at TN government website] He authored a book titled Dravidian Movement in India and Black Movement in the U.S.A.{{cite web|url=http://www.tnteu.in/pro-chancellor1.html |title=::Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University:: |publisher=Tnteu.in |date= |accessdate=2018-06-05}}