Praful Patel
Encyclopedia
Praful Manoharbhai Patel (born February 17, 1957, Kolkata
; Hindi
, Marathi
: प्रफुल मनोहरभाई पटेल) is a Member of Parliament of the Lok Sabha
of India
. He represents the Bhandara-Gondia parliamentary constituency and is a member of the Nationalist Congress Party
. He currently holds the title of Cabinet Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises in the Government of India
.
Before moving to the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
, Patel was a Minister of State for Civil Aviation up to January 2011. He has earned notoriety because between April 2009 and April 2011 his personal assets grew by 53%—from Rs. 79 crore to Rs. 122 crore—at the rate of Rs. 5 lakh per day. The same period saw a remarkable rise in the debt incurred by India's national carrier, Air India
.
of Mumbai, prior to joining the family business. Further he is one of the few politicians who does not draw a salary from the government. He has been Patel was elected as a member of the Lok Sabha
in 1991 at the age of 34. He was then elected three times consecutively to the 10th, 11th, and 12th Lok Sabhas. In April 2000 he was chosen to Rajya Sabha
.
and again reelected in April 2006. He is currently a member of the 15th Lok Sabha
Apart from his political activities, Patel is also a very successful businessman.
On May 16, 2009, Senior NCP leader and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Praful Patel secured victory from Bhandara-Gondiya (Lok Sabha constituency)
( Maharashtra) with a margin of 2,47,721 votes in Vidarbha
region.
In his long Parliamentary career he has been member of several Parliamentary Committees, notably Finance, Civil aviation, Environment and Forests, Foreign Affairs to name a few. He was the Chairman of the Indo-Uk Parliamentary Forum and Founder Member of the Indo-Us Parliamentary Forum.
Shri Praful Patel was awarded the CAPA (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation)Aviation Minister in the Asia Pacific REgion who has contributed the most to the progress of aviation in the region. The leading news magazine India Today, ranked Shri Praful Patel as No.1 Minister in 2006. He was awarded the Economic Times Reformer of the year Award in 2007. He has been conferred a Doctorate by the Leeds Metropolitan University for his contribution towards economic reforms. The Civil Aviation sector grew exponentially under his leadership from the year 2004-09.
Son of Late Shri Manoharbhai Patel, he graduated in Commerce prior to joining the family business with diverse interests in Beedi
s, Tobacco, Pharmaceuticals, Finance, Real Estate, Packaging etc., eventually heading the group known as the "Ceejay Group".
Shri Praful Patel inherited his passion for politics and social service from his father who was a senior leader of the Congress in Maharashtra, as well as a great philanthropist
. The Patel family runs the 'Gondia Education Society' in the Gondia district of Maharashtra. The Society imparts education to 80,000 students in all disciplines ranging from Arts, Commerce, Engineering, Law, Pharmacy, Information Technology
, Computer Science etc., paving the weay for youngesters to become self-reliant.
Other than Politics and Business, Shri Praful Patel is an ardent sportsman, being President of All India Football Federation
and member of the Executive of the Asian Football Confederation
. He is also an active member of Young Presidents' Organization
(YPO) and various other social organizations.
Shri Praful Patel's induction into the Union Cabinet in May, 2004 as Minister of State for Civil Aviation with Independent Charge, comes as a high point in his political career of over two decades. He held the Civil Aviation up to 19 January 2011. He was elevated to the rank of Cabinet Minister in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
on 20 January 2011, a charge he currently hold.
Praful Patel's 7 year ministerial performance has come under severe criticism following CAG's report on Air India in 2011.
Particularly, Air India- Indian Airline merger and decision to buy 111 planes have been pointed as 'recipe for disaster' in the
report. Many are now raising voices to sack him out of Government.
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
; Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
: प्रफुल मनोहरभाई पटेल) is a Member of Parliament of the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He represents the Bhandara-Gondia parliamentary constituency and is a member of the Nationalist Congress Party
Nationalist Congress Party
The Nationalist Congress Party is a centre to centre left political party primarily based in the state of Maharashtra, India.-Background:...
. He currently holds the title of Cabinet Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises in the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
.
Before moving to the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, a branch of Government of India, administers 48 Central Public Sector Enterprises and assists them in their effort to improve capacity utilisation & increase profitability, Generate resources and Re-orient strategies to become more competitive...
, Patel was a Minister of State for Civil Aviation up to January 2011. He has earned notoriety because between April 2009 and April 2011 his personal assets grew by 53%—from Rs. 79 crore to Rs. 122 crore—at the rate of Rs. 5 lakh per day. The same period saw a remarkable rise in the debt incurred by India's national carrier, Air India
Air India
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India. It is part of the government of India owned Air India Limited . The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman...
.
Political career
He is the son of prominent Congressman, Late Shri Manoharbhai Patel. He studied at Campion School, Mumbai, then graduated in commerce from Sydenham CollegeSydenham College
Sydenham College or Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics is the first college of commerce in Asia.It is an institute in Mumbai , affiliated to the University of Bombay, and offering undergraduate degrees in commerce and undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in management...
of Mumbai, prior to joining the family business. Further he is one of the few politicians who does not draw a salary from the government. He has been Patel was elected as a member of the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
in 1991 at the age of 34. He was then elected three times consecutively to the 10th, 11th, and 12th Lok Sabhas. In April 2000 he was chosen to Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
.
and again reelected in April 2006. He is currently a member of the 15th Lok Sabha
15th Lok Sabha
Members of the 15th Lok Sabha were elected in 2009 during the General Elections in India.- Important members :* Speaker: Meira Kumar, Indian National Congress, Sasaram, Bihar...
Apart from his political activities, Patel is also a very successful businessman.
On May 16, 2009, Senior NCP leader and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Praful Patel secured victory from Bhandara-Gondiya (Lok Sabha constituency)
Bhandara-Gondiya (Lok Sabha constituency)
Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies of Maharashtra state in western India. This constituency came into existence in 2008 as a part of the implementation of the Presidential notification on delimitation of parliamentary constituencies, based on the...
( Maharashtra) with a margin of 2,47,721 votes in Vidarbha
Vidarbha
Vidarbha is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. Its former name is Berar . It occupies 31.6% of total area and holds 21.3% of total population of Maharashtra...
region.
In his long Parliamentary career he has been member of several Parliamentary Committees, notably Finance, Civil aviation, Environment and Forests, Foreign Affairs to name a few. He was the Chairman of the Indo-Uk Parliamentary Forum and Founder Member of the Indo-Us Parliamentary Forum.
Shri Praful Patel was awarded the CAPA (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation)Aviation Minister in the Asia Pacific REgion who has contributed the most to the progress of aviation in the region. The leading news magazine India Today, ranked Shri Praful Patel as No.1 Minister in 2006. He was awarded the Economic Times Reformer of the year Award in 2007. He has been conferred a Doctorate by the Leeds Metropolitan University for his contribution towards economic reforms. The Civil Aviation sector grew exponentially under his leadership from the year 2004-09.
Son of Late Shri Manoharbhai Patel, he graduated in Commerce prior to joining the family business with diverse interests in Beedi
Beedi
A beedi is a thin, South Asian cigarette filled with tobacco flake and wrapped in a tendu leaf tied with a string at one end.The word comes from beeda, Marwari for a leaf wrapped in betel nuts, herbs, and condiments....
s, Tobacco, Pharmaceuticals, Finance, Real Estate, Packaging etc., eventually heading the group known as the "Ceejay Group".
Shri Praful Patel inherited his passion for politics and social service from his father who was a senior leader of the Congress in Maharashtra, as well as a great philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. The Patel family runs the 'Gondia Education Society' in the Gondia district of Maharashtra. The Society imparts education to 80,000 students in all disciplines ranging from Arts, Commerce, Engineering, Law, Pharmacy, Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, Computer Science etc., paving the weay for youngesters to become self-reliant.
Other than Politics and Business, Shri Praful Patel is an ardent sportsman, being President of All India Football Federation
All India Football Federation
The All India Football Federation is the organisation which manages the game of association football in India. It administers the running of the India national football team and also controls the I-League, India's premier domestic club competition, in addition to various other competitions and...
and member of the Executive of the Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
. He is also an active member of Young Presidents' Organization
Young Presidents' Organization
The Young Presidents’ Organization is a global network of young chief executives. With approximately 18,000 members in more than 100 countries, YPO and its graduate organization, WPO share a founding mission: Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange....
(YPO) and various other social organizations.
Shri Praful Patel's induction into the Union Cabinet in May, 2004 as Minister of State for Civil Aviation with Independent Charge, comes as a high point in his political career of over two decades. He held the Civil Aviation up to 19 January 2011. He was elevated to the rank of Cabinet Minister in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, a branch of Government of India, administers 48 Central Public Sector Enterprises and assists them in their effort to improve capacity utilisation & increase profitability, Generate resources and Re-orient strategies to become more competitive...
on 20 January 2011, a charge he currently hold.
Praful Patel's 7 year ministerial performance has come under severe criticism following CAG's report on Air India in 2011.
Particularly, Air India- Indian Airline merger and decision to buy 111 planes have been pointed as 'recipe for disaster' in the
report. Many are now raising voices to sack him out of Government.