Party Name : Indian National Congress
Constituency : Kopargaon
State : Maharashtra
Member Experience : Elected to Loksabha 8 time
Last Loksabha Attended : 14
Father's Name : Shri Vithal Rao
Mother's Name :
Date of birth : 10 Apr 1932
Profession : Writer Social Worker, Agriculturist
Positions held :
1962-67 Chairman, Education and Public Works Committee, Zila Parishad, Ahmednagar1962-71 Vice-President, Zila Parishad, Ahmednagar1964-66 Chairman, Panchayat Samiti, Shrigonda1967-71 Chairman, Agriculture Committee and Public Works Committee, Zila Parishad, Ahmednagar1968-71 Secretary, District Congress Committee (D.C.C.), Ahmednagar1971 Elected to 5th Lok Sabha1977 Re-elected to 6th Lok Sabha (2nd term)1977-79 President, Samajwadi Congress, Maharashtra1980 Re-elected to 7th Lok Sabha (3rd term)1980-82 Member, Committee on EstimatesMember, Committee on Subordinate Legislation1980-84 Vice-President, Pradesh Congress Committee (P.C.C.), Maharashtra1984 Re-elected to 8th Lok Sabha (4th term)1985-89 Treasurer, P.C.C. (I), Maharashtra1987-89 Chairman, Committee on Petitions1989 Re-elected to 9th Lok Sabha (5th term)1989-90 and 1991-92 Chairman, Committee on Agriculture1998 Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (6th term)1998-99 Member, Committee on Communications and its Sub-Committee ‘B’ on Department of PostMember, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Human Resource DevelopmentMember, Committee on Human Resource Development1999 Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (7th term)13 Oct. 1999 - 30 June 2002 Union Minister of State, Finance1July 2002 - 24 May 2003 Union Cabinet Minister, Heavy Industries & Public EnterprisesOct. 2003 - Feb. 2004 Member, Committee on Commerce2004 Re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha (8th term)Chairman, Committee on DefenceMember, General Purposes CommitteeMember, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Human Resource Development5 Aug. 2007 onwards Chairman, Standing Committee on Defence-- Member,Parliamentary Forum on Water Conservation & Management
More Information :
Books Published
Brought out publications, (i) Report of the Study group for studying sugarcane yield in recovery in Maharashtra; and (ii) The Symbol of Co-operative progress
Literary, Artistic & Scientific Accomplishments
Contributed several articles to newspapers (in Marathi and English)
Social And Cultural Activities
Upliftment of the weaker sections of the society including SC, ST and landless labourers in particular; playing an important role in the establishments of social, educational, health and financial institutions; starting cooperatives engaged in development of agriculture, rural education, rural industrialization and human resource development to maintain peace and harmony in strengthening secular forces; and interested to establish Padmashri Dr. Vikhe Patil Rural University, Pravarnagar for the purpose of Health for all, and education for all
Special Interests
Agriculture, water management, industrial and human resource development; upliftment of the farmers and ensuring their security; rural development
Countries Visited
Widely travelled (16 countries); attended International Sugar Technologists’ Conferences, (i) Brazil, 1977; (ii) Cuba, 1982; (iii) Cuba,-1985; International Farmers’ Conference, Paris, 1984; and Asian Conference on Rural Health, Beijing, 1988; as member of Indian Delegation led by Honble Speaker Lok Sabha, visited Moscow, Russia, Sept.- Oct. 2003; Budapest (Hungary), July 1999 for World Conference on Science
Other Information
President, (i) Maharashtra State Distilleries Association, 1977-82; (ii) Friends of Soviet Union, Maharashtra, since 1980; (iii) Maharashtra Rajya Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Sangh Ltd., Bombay, 1981-84; and (iv) Maharashtra Granthpal Sangh since 1982; (v) Maharashtra Pani Parishad, Loni, Distt. Ahmedabad since 1995 (Founder Executive President); (vi) India Water Partnership, New Delhi since November 2003; Vice President, (i) Friends of Soviet Union, Maharashtra, 1975-80; and (ii) Maharashtra Rajya Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Sangh Ltd., Bombay, 1980-81; Chairman, (i) Pravara Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd., Pravaranagar, 1966-87; (ii) State level Accounts Committee, Maharashtra, 1986-88; (iii) State level Committee appointed by Maharashtra Government to suggest minimum wages for Agricultural Labourers, 1987-88; (iv) Study team appointed by Maharashtra Government to study sugarcane yield and recovery in Maharashtra; (v) Committee appointed by Maharashtra Government to suggest a chapter for the Co-operative Society Act on Co-operative Sugar factories; (vi) Pravara Rural Education Society since 1981; and (vii) Maharashtra Pani Parishad, Loni since 1995; Group of Ministers on Cooperative restructuring September 2001; Director, (i) Maharashtra State Farming Corporation Ltd., 1964-77; (ii) Maharashtra Rajya Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Sangh Ltd., Bombay, 1966-88; (iii) National Federation of Co-operative Sugar Factories Ltd., New Delhi, 1976-90 and Member, Executive Committee, 1982-86; (iv) Indian Sugar Export Corporation, 1979-88; (v) Pravara Sahakari Bank Ltd., Loni, 1975-96; and (vi) Padma Shree Dr. Vithalrao Vikhe Patil Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd., Pravaranagar, 1966-97; (vii) Indian Sugar Export Corporation 1979-1988; Founder Member, (i) Pravara Institute of Research and Education in Natural and Social Sciences, Pravaranagar; (ii) Pravara Sahakari Bank Ltd., Loni; (iii) Pravara Rural Medical Trust, Loni; (iv) Padma Shree Dr. Vithalrao Vikhe Patil Institute of Technology and Engineering, Pravaranagar; (v) Dr. Vikhe Patil Foundation, Pune; (vi) Pravara Dairy Society; (vii) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Academy for Performing Arts, Pravaranagar; (viii) Padma Shree Dr. Vithalrao Vikhe Patil Foundation, Ahmednagar; and (ix) Dr. Vikhe Patil Foundation Nasik Centre; Member, (i) Governing Council and Executive Committee, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi; (ii) National Council of Rural Development, Hyderabad; (iii) Governing Council and Executive Committee, Deccan Sugar Institute, Pune, 1975-85; (iv) Managing Committee, All India Distilleries Association, New Delhi, 1978-89; (v) Deccan Sugar Technologists’ Association, Pune since 1976; (vi) State and Irrigation Committee; (vii) Advisory Committee on Power and Irrigation, 1975-78; (viii) Advisory Committee of Post and Telegraphs; (ix) State Sugar Wage Board, 1966-71; (x) State Agricultural Prices Committee, 1975; (xi) State Government Committee on Labour, 1966; (xii) All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation, Maharashtra State Council; (xiii) Technical Education Committee, appointed by Government of Maharashtra, 1982-90; (xiv) Maharashtra Economic Development Council; (xv) Maharashtra State Employment and Self Employment, High Level Committee, 1966-97; and (xvi) Pravara Study Circle, Loni since 1994; Senate Member, (i) Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, 1966-72 and 1974-79; and (ii) University of Poona, Pune, 1975-76 and 1985-86; (iii) Yeshvantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nasik since 1997; FounderTrustee, (i) Pravara Medical Trust, Loni, with Rural Medical and Dental College and well-equipped Rural Hospital since 1973; (ii) Shirdi Sai Rural Institute, Pravaranagar since 1997; (iii) Padma Shree Dr. Vithalrao Vikhe Patil Foundation, Ahmednagar; (iv) Dr. Vikhe Patil Foundation, Pune; (v) Pravara Institute of Research and Eduction in Natural and Social Sciences Pravaranagar; (vi) Pravara Co-operative Dairy Society for 45 villages; (vii) Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru Academy for performing Arts, Pravaranagar; (viii) Dr. Vikhe Patil Foundation, Nasik Centre; Founder, (i) Parner Cooperative Sugar Factory, Parner, Distt. Ahmednagar; (ii) Jagdamba Co-operative Sugar Factory, Karjit, Distt. Ahmednagar (iii) Vrideshwar Cooperative Sugar Factory, Pathardi, Distt Ahmednagar; and (iv) Pravara Sahakari Bank Ltd., Loni; Chancellor, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed University) Loni, Distt. Ahmednagar (MS) since 2004; associated with a number of charitable trusts; Attended, (i) 6th Asian Conference of International Association of Agriculture, Medicine and Rural Health held at Pravaranagar on the subject of innovative approaches in Rural Health, 1993; and (ii) National Seminar on ‘Problems and Prospects of Rural Development’, Pravaranagar, 1997; participated in important discussions for the progress of the nation in different fields; actively participated in Lok Sabha Debates and provided innuumerable suggestions during the debates which initiated a process of thinking for the betterment of farmers and workers and of unorganised sectors
