President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)

Brief Biographic Data:

Year of Birth:    9 March 1931

Place of Birth: Cannes, France.

Education:   Graduated from Delhi and Srinagar Universities (Jammu and Kashmir State); he has the master's and doctor's degree in political science.

Activity:

1949-1967   Governor of Jammu and Kashmir State;

1967-1971          Member of the low parliament chamber of 4^th convocation;

1967-1973  Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation;

1971-1977  Member of the low parliament chamber of 5^th convocation;

1973-1977   Minister of Health and Family Planning;

1977-1980   Reelected as the member of the low parliament chamber of 6^th convocation;

1979- 1980   Minister of Education and Culture;

1980  Reelected as the member of the low parliament chamber of 7^th convocation;

1989-1990   Ambassador of India in the USA;

1996-2000  Elected as the member of upper parliament chamber, member of the consultancy committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Co-Chairman of the Indian-French Forum, member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs;

2000   Reelected as the member of the upper parliament chamber,  member;

2005   Deputy leader of the party "Indian National Congress" in the upper parliament chamber, member of the permanent committee of foreign affairs, consultancy committee of the ministry of internal affairs, consultancy committee of the Ministry of Defense;

Since August 2005      President of the Indian Council on cultural relations  at MFA RI;

2006  Reelected as the member of the upper parliament.

Family:   Married, three children and six grandchildren.