Bhirao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb, was the chairman of Constitution Drafting Committee and a champion of Dalit and minority rights movement in India. Ambedkar, who was an economist and social reformer, also served as the first Law Minister of Independent India. Born into a poor Mahar caste in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, he was the first untouchable to have entered Elphinstone College which was affiliated with University of Bombay. After obtaining a degree in economics and political science, Ambedkar moved to United States in 2013 to study at Columbia University in New York City. He earned doctorates in economics from Columbia University and London School of Economics. Throughout his political career and public life, Ambedkar worked for upliftment of Dalit (untouchable) community. He published the book Annihilation of Caste in 1936 which spoke against caste system and Hindu orthodox religious leaders. He also formed the Independent Labour Party in the same year and contested Bombay election to Central Legislative Assembly in 1937. He opposed the special status being granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and supported Uniform Civil Code. In 1956, he converted to Buddhism along with 500,000 Dalit followers. He was posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna, India\'s highest civilian honour in 1990.
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