Uma Shankar Dikshit

Uma Shankar Dikshit (12 January 1901 – 30 May 1991) was an Indian politician, cabinet minister and Governor of West Bengal[1] and Governor of Karnataka.[2]

Uma Shankar Dikshit
11th Governor of West Bengal
In office
2 October 1984 – 12 August 1986
Chief MinisterJyoti Basu
Preceded bySatish Chandra (acting)
Succeeded bySaiyid Nurul Hasan
2nd Governor of Karnataka
In office
10 January 1976 – 2 August 1977
Chief MinisterD. Devaraj Urs
Preceded byMohan Lal Sukhadia
Succeeded byGovind Narain
10th Minister of Home Affairs
In office
5 February 1973 – 10 October 1974
Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi
Preceded byIndira Gandhi
Succeeded byKasu Brahmananda Reddy
Minister of Health and Family Welfare
In office
19 May 1971 – 5 February 1973
Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi
Preceded byKodardas Kalidas Shah
Succeeded byRaghunath Keshav Khadilkar (As MoS)
Personal details
Born12 January 1901
Ugu, North-Western Provinces, British India
(Now in Uttar Pradesh, India)
Died30 May 1991(1991-05-30) (aged 90)
New Delhi, India
Political partyIndian National Congress
Alma materChrist Church College, Kanpur

Life

He was born on 12 January 1901 at village Ugu of Unnao of Uttar Pradesh state, to Ram Sarup and Shiv Pyari. He later studied at the Christ Church College, Kanpur.[2] As a student, he joined the freedom movement and became the Secretary of the District Congress Committee Kanpur during the period when Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi was the President of the Committee.

He served the Country as the Home Minister, Health Minister and Governor of Karnataka & West Bengal. He also served as treasurer of All India Congress Committee, and Managing Director of Associated Journals at Lucknow. He founded a Girls Intermediate College at his village Ugu in the memory of his mother.[3]
He was awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award in India in 1989, by the Government of India.[4]

Career

After Independence, he remained close to Nehru and later sided with Indira Gandhi during the 1969 split in Indian National Congress. He joined the Indira Gandhi cabinet in 1971, thereafter he remained Minister for Works and Housing, Govt. of India, 1971-72 later given additional charge of Health and Family Planning, Minister for Home Affairs, 1973–74 and Minister for Shipping and Transport, 1975. He also remained Treasurer, All India Congress Committee (AICC), 1970-75.[2][5]

He remained the Governor of Karnataka, 1976–77 and Governor of West Bengal 1984-1986.

He died at New Delhi on 30 May 1991 after a prolonged illness at the age of 90 years.

References
  1. "Governors >> Governors of Bengal from 1912 up to the present day". Governor of West Bengal website. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013.
  2. Governors Archived 17 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Governor of Karnataka website.
  3. "Famous Personalities - Profile". Unnao Nic. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  4. "Padma Vibhushan Awardees". Govt. of India website.
  5. "Dikshit scripts history, sworn-in as CM for third time". Indian Express. 17 December 2008.
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