| Member (i) Indian Delegation to U.N., 1982, 1983; (ii) NAM Summit, 1983; (iii) I.P.U. Conferences, Nicaragua, 1987, Guatemala, 1988 and Cyprus, 1990; Member Indian Parliamentary Delegation to (i) Tokyo, 1989; (ii) Cyprus, and (iii) U.K., 1990; Leader, Indian Delegation to the Tenth World Forestry Conference in Paris, 1991; the UNEP Governing Council meeting in Nairobi, the PREPCOM IV discussion in New York and Kuala Lampur Conference, all in 1992; hosted the SAARC Environment Ministers` Conference in New Delhi and emerged as one of the chief spokesmen for developing countries at the UNCED in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992; Leader, National delegations to Finland, Sweden, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Dubai and UK and also to UNCTAD and UNEP and World Economic Forum meetings at Davos, Switzerland;Participated in WTO Ministerial/mini-Ministerial and other related meetings around the world.
During his tenure as Minister of Environment & Forests, he made a remarkable contribution to the enunciation and development of the National Policy on Ecological Conservation and the Abatement of Pollution; his policy initiatives include: estabilishment of Environment Tribunal, the concept of Environment Audit, special measures for the further protection and conservation of wild life-fauna as well as flora and the establishment of Environment Brigades and Afforestation Brigades (the afforestation and development of degraded wastelands in India was taken up on a massive scale under his stewardship); enunciated global concepts on Environmental Tariffs and conceptualised Global Emission Quotas; chief spokesman for the developing countries at the UNCED in Rio De Janeiro in 1992: During his tenure as Minister of State, textiles, the country touched new heights in production and export of cotton: the New Textile Policy was successfully launched. As Commerce and Industry Minister of India, he enunicated India`s first comprehensive Foreign Trade Policy in 2004, laying out a coherent roadmap with twin focus on exports as well as employment. He was sucessful in tripling India`s foreign trade wtihin this period and engineering a seven-fold increase in FDI inflow to India. Significant strides were made in the areas of intellectural Property and industrial Design.SEZ Act was enacted with his initiative. His firm grasp of economic issues and consummate diplomatic skills were evident in the World Trade Organisation negotiations, where he emerged as one of the chief architects of the G-20 adn G-33 Alliances and the NAMA 11. The WTO Ministerial Meeting at Hong Kong in 2005 was marked by his championship of the cause of developing countries. President, (i) Board of Governors, Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad; (ii) Lajpatrai Smarak Mahavidyalaya Samiti, Ghaziabad; Chairman, Centre for Advanced Education, Nagpur;served on Board of Directors, Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO); Patron; (i) National Colliery Workers Federation; (ii) Bharat Yuvak Samaj; Awarded (i) FDI personality of the year 2007 for Asia and world; (ii) National Colliery Workers Federation; and (iii) Bharat Yuvak Samaj; Joined Indian National Congress, 1968; General Secretary, Indian National Congress; Member,Congress Working Committee, September 2002-July 2004
Elected to the Lok Sabha 9 times, he is one of the senior most Member of 16th Lok Sabha.
The Hon`ble President appointed him as Speaker Pro-tem to perform the duties of the Office of Speaker from the commencement of sitting of House on 4 June 2014 till the election of Speaker on 6 June 2014. |
