Shri Krishna Chandra Pant

PANT, SHRI KRISHNA CHANDRA, M.Sc., [Congress (I)— New Delhi, 1984]  s. of Bharat Ratna late Shri Govind Ballabh Pant; b. at Bhowali, Nainital District, Uttar Pradesh, August 10, 1931; ed. at St. Joseph’s College, Nainital and Lucknow University; awarded Honorary Doctorate Degree by Udaipur University in 1975-76; m. Smt. Ila Pant, June 20, 1957; 2 s.; Political and Social Worker; Union Minister of State for (i) Finance, March 13, 1967—February 14, 1969, (ii) Steel and Heavy Engineering, February 14, 1969—June 27, 1970, (iii) Home Affairs and Departments of Electronics and Scientific and Industrial Research, June 27, 1970—March 18, 1971, (iv) Home Affairs and Departments of Electronics, Atomic Energy and Science and Technology, March 18, 1971—May 2, 1971, and (v) Home Affairs and Departments of Electronics and Atomic Energy, May 2, 1971—November 9, 1973; assisted the Prime Minister in the Department of Space,  August 26, 1973—November 9, 1973; (vi) Irrigation and Power, November 9, 1973—October 10, 1974, also assisted the Prime Minister in the Departments of Atomic Energy, Electronics and Space; (vii) Energy, October 10, 1974— March 24, 1977; Minister of Energy, July 30, 1979—January 14, 1980; Union Minister of Education since December 31, 1984; Member and General Secretary, Working Committee of A.l.C.C. 1977; Chairman, Advisory Board on Energy, March, 1983—November 19, 1984; Vice-President, Indian Council for Africa; Member, (i) Administrative Reforms Commission Study Team on Government Machinery, (ii) Institute for  Defence Studies and Analysis upto 1977, (iii) Executive Council of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and (iv) National Integration Council; Founder Member, Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies; Life Member, Institute of Engineers; Member, (i) Third Lok Sabha, 1962—67, (ii) Executive Committee, Congress Parliamentary Party and (iii) Committee on Public Undertakings; General Secretary, Congress Party in Parliament, 1965-66; was called upon to organise the Leadership election between late Smt. Indira Gandhi and Shri Morarji Desai after the demise of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri; Member, (i) Fourth Lok Sabha, 1967—70, (ii) Fifth Lok Sabha, 1971—77 and (iii) Rajya Sabha, 1978—84; Leader of the House (Rajya Sabha) 1979-80; Indian delegate to, (i) the Human Rights Commission held in 1965 and its first Vice-Chairman in 1966 and (ii) Seminar on Nuclear Weapons, Toronto, 1966; Parliamentary Adviser, Indian Delegation to the United Nations and Member of Third Commission of the U.N., 1965 and later was Leader of the Delegation after return of the Foreign Minister to India; led the Indian delegation to, (i) Colombo Plan Consultative Committee Meetings held in Rangoon in December, 1967 and again in Seoul (Korea) in October, 1968, (ii) International Conference on Human Rights held in Teheran in April, 1968 and (iii) Human Rights Commission, 1984 at Geneva; Co-Chairman, Indo-Polish Commission, 1976.

Favourite pastime and recreation:  Reading, Travelling and Sports.

Special interests:  Welfare work; associated with a number of educational institutions.

Accomplishments in letters, literature, art and science:  Recipient of the Chancellor’s Gold Medal for the best student of the year.

Publications:  A booklet on Fertilizers.

Sports and clubs:  Cricket, Badminton, Squash, and Tennis; Member, Delhi Gymkhana Club.

Travels abroad:  U.S.A., U.S.S.R., U.K., Africa, Austria, Germany, Canada, South-Korea, Burma, Nepal, France, Egypt, Italy, Japan, Iran, Yugoslavia and other Western European countries.

Permanent address:  (i) 22, Dakshineshwar, 10, Hailey Road, New Delhi-110001, (ii) Pant Estate, Bhowali, Nainital District, Uttar Pradesh.