The politician

Detailed Profile: Shri Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh

Name	Shri Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh
Father's Name	Shri Dagadoji Venkatrao Deshmukh
Mother's Name	Shrimati Sushila Devi
Date of Birth	26/05/1945
Birth Place	Babhalgaon, Distt. Latur (Maharashtra)
Maritial Status	Married On 29 May 1975
Spouse Name	Shrimati Vaishali Deshmukh
No. of Children	Three Sons
State Name	Maharashtra
Party Name	Indian National Congress
Permanent Address	602, Worli Sagar Co-operative Housing Society, Purna Building, Worli, Mumbai-30. Telephone : {022}24972222, {022}24972226 (FAX)
Present Address	14, Akbar Road, New Delhi 110001 Telephone : 23794021,23794004, 23794036 (FAX) Mobile : 9821125000
Email id
Educational Qualifications	B.Sc., B.A., LL.B. Educated at Garware College, Pune University, Pune and I.L.S. Law College, Pune (Maharashtra)
Profession	Agriculture
Positions Held	1974-79 Member, Zilla Panchayat, Osmanabad 1974-76 Sarpanch, Babhalgaon Village Panchayat, Taluka Latur 1974-79 Deputy Chairman, Latur Taluka Panchayat Samiti 1980-1995 and 1999-2009 Member, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly 1982-85 Minister of State, Department of Rural Development, Home, General Administration, Agriculture, Transport, Education, Technical Education, Sports and Youth Affairs, Information and Publicity, Government of Maharashtra 1986-95 Cabinet Minister, Rural Development, Agriculture, Cooperation, Dairy Development & Fisheries, Public Works, Industries, Education and Technical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare, Co-operation, Transport, Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Maharashtra 18 Oct. 1999-18 Jan. 2003 Chief Minister, Maharashtra 11 Nov. 2004-7 Dec. 2008 Chief Minister, Maharashtra (second term) Aug. 2009 Elected to Rajya Sabha May 2009 - Jan. 2011 Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises 19 Jan. 2011 onwards Union Minister of Rural Development and Minister of Panchayati Raj (Additional charge)
Freedom Fighter	No
Books Published
Social and Cultural Activities, Literary, Artistic and Scientific Accomplishments and other Special Interests	Started Manjara Cooperative Sugar Factory, Latur, in 1987; it was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi; the factory transformed the socio-economic conditions of the people and has received many National and State Awards; it is the flagship Institute for the development of Latur
Sports, Clubs, Favourite Pastimes and Recreation	Volleyball, table tennis and cricket, classical music, reading books on history and current affairs
Countries Visited	Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Germany, France, U.K. and U.S.A.
Other Information	Worked for the implementation of the five-point Programme of the Youth Congress; credited for the empowerment of Zilla Panchayats and strengthening of the Panchayati Raj System; introduced separate policies for empowerment of the women and the youth; launched the Sant Ghadge Baba Gram Swachhata Abhiyan in Maharashtra; credited for implemention of inerest subsidy scheme for farmers; launched the Tanta Mukti Abhiyan in Maharashtra;Member, (i) Indian National Congress since 1972 and (ii) Congress Working Committee, 2008; President, Osmanabad District Youth Congress, 1975-78; elected Director, (i) Latur Agriculture Market Committee, 1976, (ii) Osmanabad District Centre Cooperative Bank, 1979 and (iii) Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank, 1979

Vilasrao Deshmukh

Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh विलासराव दगडोजीराव देशमुख
Vilasrao Deshmukh
Minister of Science and Technology
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 July 2011
President	Pratibha Patil
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	Pawan Kumar Bansal
Minister of Earth Sciences
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 July 2011
Preceded by	Pawan Kumar Bansal
Mumbai Cricket Association
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 July 2011
Preceded by	Sharad Pawar
Minister of Rural Development

Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh (Marathi: विलासराव दगडोजीराव देशमुख) (born May 26, 1945), popularly known as Vilasrao is the current Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences. He has previously held the posts of Minister of Rural Development and Minister of Panchayati Raj, Government of India and Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India.[1] He is member of Rajya Sabha representing Maharashtra. He was also a two-time Chief Minister of Maharashtra, from 1999 to 2003 and from 2004 to 2008. He is a member of the Indian National Congress and originally belongs to Latur district in the Marathwada region of the state of Maharashtra.

Early life and family

Deshmukh was born on May 26, 1945 in Babhalgaon in the Latur district. He graduated with a degree in Science (B.Sc.) and Arts (B.A.) from M.E.S Abasaheb Garware College, (Pune University) and went on to study law (L.L.B.) from the ILS Law College (Pune University).^[2] He started social activities in his early youth with particular interest in drought relief work. He was elected as the Director of the Osmanabad district Central Cooperative Bank and also of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank in 1979.^[2]
His wife is Vaishali Deshmukh, and he has three sons from her, Amit Deshmukh who is a MLA of Latur city, Ritesh and Dheeraj.^[2] His son Ritesh Deshmukh is an actor in Bollywood movies.^[3]
He has one younger brother Diliprao Deshmukh, who is a MLC and served as Minister of Relief, Rehabilitation, Sports, Youth Welfare and Protocol. in the Maharashtra Government.^[4]

[edit] Political career

Deshmukh entered active politics and became member of the Babhalgaon Village Panchayat from 1974 to 1979 and its Sarpanch (village chief) from 1974 to 1976. He was a member of Osmanabad Zilla Parishad and Deputy Chairman of Latur Taluka Panchayat Samiti (Latur District Panchayat Committee) from 1974 to 1980.^[2]
As a President of Osmanabad District Youth Congress from 1975 to 1978, he worked for the implementation of Five Point Programme of the Youth Congress. He organised the youth in Osmanabad district and became President of District wing of the Indian National Congress.^[2]
He was Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 1980 to 1995 winning 1980, 1985 and 1990 elections.^[5] During this period, as the Minister of State and the Cabinet Minister, Deshmukh handled departments such as Home, General Administration, Cooperation, Public Works, Transport, Legislative Affairs, Tourism, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development Fisheries, Industry, Rural Development, Education, Technical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare,
He has been a minister in various governments in Maharashtra from 1982 to 1995 holding portfolios of revenue, cooperation, agriculture, home, industries and education.^[2]
He lost the elections in 1995 with a margin of 35,000. He was re-elected to the State Legislature from Latur Constituency in the elections held in September 1999 with a strong comeback winning with a margin of nearly 91,000 in two successive election, the highest in Maharashtra. He took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on October 18, 1999. He was Chief Minister till 17 January 2003, but had to step down in January 2003 and make way for Sushilkumar Shinde, a prominent Dalit member of Congress, following factionalism in the state unit of the party.
He was re-elected to the State Legislative Assembly from Latur Constituency in the Elections held in October 2004.^[5]
He took oath of Chief Ministership for the second time on November 1, 2004.^[6][7] In this position he was condemned by the Supreme Court for interference in shielding MLA Dilip Kumar Sananda and his family from money lending complaints by poor farmers.^[8]
In the aftermath of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, he took the moral responsibility and offered to resign, which was then accepted by the party.^[9][10]
He subsequently entered the Rajya Sabha and was appointed to the Council of Ministers as Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 28 May 2009.^[11]
He was appointed as Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises on 19 January 2011 cabinet reshuffle.^[12] Later on he was appointed Minister of Rural Development.
He was appointed as Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences on July 12, 2011

[edit] Foreign Tour

Deshmukh had an opportunity to visit Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong in 1980, to study Cooperative Movement in Amsterdam, Netherland and Agricultural Development. He also visited West Germany, France, England, United States and Japan in 1981.^[2] As the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, he led an official delegation in May 2000, to US and UK and visited New York, Los Angeles, San Jose, Washington and London to interact with the investors to bring investment to Maharashtra.

[edit] Manjra Project

From April 1995 to October 17, 1999, Vilasrao kept himself engaged in expansion of the Manjra Co-op. Sugar Mill. The Mill established a world record in 1994-95 and in 1997-98 by crushing the highest quantity of sugarcane^{[citation needed]}. It has won 34 awards on national and international level for excellence in production and management^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Educational activities

Deshmukh founded the Manjra Charitable Trust which runs a number of colleges in Latur & Mumbai. Some of them are Manajara Ayurvedic Medical College & Hospital Latur, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology at Versova, Andheri in Mumbai^[13] and Sushiladevi Deshmukh Vidyalaya at Airoli, Navi Mumbai. His interests include reading, classical music, volleyball and table tennis.^[