Faguni Ram

Faguni Ram was an Indian politician. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India representing Bihar as a member of the Indian National Congress for 3 terms. He was among the first scheduled caste person in state to hold the a Ph.D. degree. His wife Dr. Sushila Das is also one of the first scheduled caste woman of Bihar to hold a Ph.D. degree. They always stressed education as a means to self-development and the development of people they served. He served in Bihar State Administrative Services but left to become MLA from Aurangabad. He arose to became one of the youngest state ministers of country. He also authored several books on Geography.^[1][2][3]

Early Life

Born in a family with modest means in Majhiawan village in Gaya district, Dr. Ram became epitome of how hard work can overcome social and economic barriers. Son of a freedom fighter he worked tirelessly towards development of Bihar and symbolized public service for the people with a common touch and serving all communities together. As a social and political worker, he vigorously served for ameliorating the condition of the down trodden people and work towards removal of untouchability and illiteracy among the people who were below the poverty line. He worked tirelessly for Bhangi Mukti Morcha Programme, Improvement in the Slum areas, Protection of Environment and Transference of Technology to Villages, Harijan Sevak Sangh and Depressed Class League, Adult Education Programmes, and Implementation of Land Reforms.On the inspiration of Late Smt. Indira Gandhi, he travelled extensively for the developmental works of the people of India. He particularly emphasized education as a mean to self-development, overcoming social barriers and stigma, and upliftment of people they serve. He championed inclusive development where social welfare and developmental policies and programs are prioritized. Inclusive development and empowerment are aptly reflected in rich legacy of policies and infrastructural initiatives that he toiled tirelessly for more than four decades with a path full of empowerment, modern outlook and hope. Towards this he founded a number of schools and colleges in Bihar. He was honored with National Integration Award for the outstanding social works in the different parts of India.

Education

Dr. Ram earned his B.A. (Hons), M.A. and Ph.D. in Geography. He also did M.A. in Sanskrit. Before becoming active as a politician, he taught as a Professor at Anugrah Narayan. College Patna. Dr. Ram’s scholarly work focused on interwoven themes of geography and development. His writings include “Development of Irrigation and Its Impact on Agriculture” and coauthored Instant Encyclopedia of Geography (1-25 volumes). Number of his research papers, articles, speeches has been published in the accredited journals and magazines. During his teaching career, he successfully supervised a number of doctoral students.

Political Positions Held

Joint Secretary, All India Congress Committee, directly assisted late Honourable Shri Rajiv Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India and President of AICC (I). He was in charge of the Janata Darshan of late Honourable Shri Rajiv Gandhi. It made him immensely popular with diverse range of people. Vice President, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee. Secretary, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee. Delegates to the All India Congress Committee.

Other Positions Held

1966-72: Inspector, Department of Food, Civil Supply and Commerce, Government of Bihar (left this assignment on the direction of Most Honourable late Smt Indira Gandhiji 1972-77: Member Legislative Assembly (MLA), Bihar. 1973: Minister, Ministry of Excise, Government of Bihar, Patna, Bihar. February 1985(mid term): Elected as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Bihar . 1986-92: Member, Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. April 1988: Elected as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Bihar. 1988-89: Member, Committee on Papers Laid on the Table. April 2000: Elected as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Bihar. May 2000 to February 2004: Member, Committee on Industry, Government of India. January 2001 onwards: Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. August 2004 onwards: Member, Committee on Papers Laid on the Table.

Member, Committee on Rural Development.

Member, Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and

Scheduled Tribes. October 2004 onwards: Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Awards and Recognitions

National Integration Award for the year 1987-88, Citizen of India for the year 1992, several Colleges and Schools named after him in his home town and state. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

References

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