Party Name : Bharatiya Janata Party
Constituency : New Delhi
State : Delhi
Member Experience : Elected to Loksabha 3 time
Last Loksabha Attended : 13
Father's Name : Late Shri Amir Chand
Mother's Name : Late Smt. Dropadi Devi
Date of birth : 25 Sep 1927
Profession :
Positions held :
1980-81 Lt. Governor, Delhi1981-82 Lt. Governor, Goa, Daman & Diu1982-84 Lt. Governor, Delhi1984-89 Governor, Jammu & Kashmir1990 Governor, Jammu & Kashmir1990-96 Member (nominated), Rajya SabhaMember, Committee of PrivilegesMember, Committee on Urban and Rural Development1996 Elected to 11th Lok Sabha1996-97 Chairman, Committee on EnergyMember, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Urban Development1998 Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (2nd term)1998-99 Member, Committee on External Affairs4 Dec. 1998- 7 June 1999 Union Cabinet Minister, CommunicationsJune-Oct. 1999 Union Cabinet Minister, Urban Development1999 Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (3rd term)Oct.–Nov. 1999 Union Cabinet Minister, Urban Development22 Nov. 1999- 31 Aug. 2001 Union Cabinet Minister, Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation1 Sept. 2001- 17 Nov. 2001 Union Cabinet Minister, Tourism; Programme Implementation and Statistics18 Nov. 2001- onwards Union Cabinet Minister, Tourism and Culture
More Information :
Books Published
(i) Rebuilding Shahjahanabad—Walled City of Delhi; (ii) Island of Truth; (iii) The Challenge of our Cities; and (iv) My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir, which has run into several editions and translated in eleven regional languages
Literary, Artistic & Scientific Accomplishments
Contributed to leading national dailies about 300 articles on issues of contemporary relevance
Special Interests
Literary, social and cultural work
Favourite Pastime and Recreation
Reading and writing books, undertaking reforms, long walk to gardens and visiting natural sanctuaries
Sports and Clubs
Member, Indian Council of World Affairs and Life Member, India International Centre
Countries Visited
Around the world in 1964-69 on Ford Foundation and Indian Institute of Public Administration (I.I.P.A.) Fellowship; attended U.N. Conference on Habitat, Vancouver, 1976; Member, Indian Parliamentary Delegation, (i) Austria; (ii) Hungary; and (iii) 100th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Moscow, September, 1998
Other Information
Retired from Government service; worked for the improvement of slum clearance in Delhi under Delhi Master Plan; Conferred, (i) Padma Shri, 1971; (ii) Padma Bhushan, 1977; and (iii) Australian Cultural Award, 1975; and Member, (i) Court of Jamia Millia Islamia, 1998—9 March 1999; and (ii) General Council of School of Planning and Architecture, 1998
