Sharad Pawar is an Indian politician. He is the founder and president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) since 1999 after splitting from the Indian National Congress.
In his political career, Sharad Pawar has held prominent positions both in state politics and at the national level. He has also served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the Defense Minister of India.
He has been accused of indulging in corruption several times. From 2005 to 2008 he served the Board of Control for Cricket in India as its chairman. He also held the coveted position of the President of the International Cricket Council, succeeding England’s David Morgan.
In 1999, Pawar was diagnosed with oral cancer due to his habit of chewing gutkha and had an oral surgery in April 2004. In March 2021, he underwent surgery for his gallbladder problem.
Sharad Pawar Biography & Wiki
| Sharad Pawar Full Name | Sharad Chandra Govindrao Pawar |
| Profession | Politician |
| Sharad Pawar Political Party | Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) |
| Physical Stat | |
| Sharad Pawar Height | In Centimeter- 175 cm In Meter- 1.75 m In Feet- 5’9” |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Salt & Pepper |
| Personal Life | |
| Date Of Birth | 12 December 1940 (Thursday) |
| Sharad Pawar Age (2022) | 82 Years |
| Birthplace | Baramati, Maharashtra |
| Zodiac Sign/Sun Sign | Sagittarius |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Home town | Baramati, Maharashtra |
| College/University | Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce , Pune University, MH |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | OBC |
| Hobbies | Watching Cricket, Travelling |
| Family member(s) | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Sharad Pawar Wife | Pratibha Tai Pawar |
| Children | Son– None Daughter– Supriya Sule |
| Parents | Father– Govindrao Pawar Mother– Sharda Bai Pawar |
| Sibling | Brother– Pratap Govindrao Pawar Sister– Saroj Patil |
| Income | |
| Sharad Pawar Net Worth (2022) | 2.8 Million USD |
Family, Early Life and Education
Sharad Pawar was born on 12 December 1940 to Shri Govindrao Pawar and Smt. Shardabai Pawar. His father worked with the Baramati Farmers Co-operative Society, also known as the Sahakari Kharedi Vikri Sangh, and his mother looked after the family farm in Katewadi, about 10 km from Baramati.
Sharad Pawar has five brothers and four sisters. He was educated in a school of Maharashtra Education Society. He studied at the Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce under the University of Pune in Pune.
Sharad Pawar married Pratibha Shinde on 1 August 1967; They have a daughter Supriya, who is married to Sadanand Sule and is currently a member of the 15th Lok Sabha, representing the Baramati constituency of Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar’s younger brother Pratap runs the famous Marathi daily Sakal and his nephew Ajit Pawar is currently the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. His interests include horticulture, agriculture, irrigation, economics, finance, energy and sports. His favorite pastime is reading and he loves to travel.
Sharad Pawar political career
Sharad Pawar was an average student, though he was very active in student politics. His enthusiasm for debate, his dynamic speaking skills, his enthusiasm for organizing and arranging outdoor activities and sports were early indicators of his leadership qualities.
His first work in the field of politics was his active participation and organization of a protest march in 1956 in support of the Goa Liberation Movement. He represented the student leadership at the Brihan Maharashtra Commerce College (BMCC) and served as the General Secretary.
This place marked his entry into politics and his association with the Youth Congress. He came in contact with Yashwantrao Chavan, who is considered the architect of modern Maharashtra. Chavan recognized his potential as a leader and eventually Sharad Pawar became the leader of the Youth Congress.
Political journey of Sharad Pawar so far
- In 1967 he lived :
Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
Secretary of Congress Legislature Party in Maharashtra
General Secretary of State Congress Committee in Maharashtra
- From 1972 to 1974 he was the Minister of State for Food, Home, Civil Supplies, Publicity, Rehabilitation, Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Maharashtra.
- From 1974 to 1978 he was the Minister of Agriculture, Home, Education, Industry, Youth Welfare and Labor under the Government of Maharashtra.
- He was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1978 to 1980.
- He was the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 1981 to 1986.
- From 1982 to 1987 he was the President of Congress(S).
- He was elected to the 8th Lok Sabha in 1984 but resigned in March 1985.
- He was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1988 to 1991.
- In 1991, he was again elected to the 10th Lok Sabha.
- From 1991 to 1993 he served as the Minister of Defense.
- He was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from 1993 to 1995. He became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
- From 1995 to 1996, he was made the Leader of the Opposition of the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
- In 1996, he was re-elected to the 11th Lok Sabha for a third term.
- From 1996 to 1997 he was a member of the Environment and Forests Committee and the Science and Technology Committee.
- In 1998, he was elected for the fourth time as a member of the 12th Lok Sabha. He was made the Leader of the Opposition.
- From 1998 to 1999 he was a member of:
Foreign Affairs Committee and its Sub-Committee-II
general purpose committee
Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Human Resource Development
- In 1999, he was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha for the fifth time. He became the leader of the NCP in Parliament.
- From 1999 to 2000, he was a member of the General Purposes Committee and the Committee on Agriculture.
- He was a member of the Ethics Committee from 2000 to 2001.
- From 2001 to 2004 he was the Vice Chairman of the National Committee on Disaster Management. He was also the leader of the NCP in Parliament in the Lok Sabha.
- In 2004, he was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha for the sixth time.
- From 23 May 2004, he became the Union Cabinet Minister for Consumer Affairs, Public Distribution, Agriculture and Food. He was also the Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Forum on Water Conservation and Management.
- In 2009, he was elected for the seventh time as a member of the 15th Lok Sabha.
- From 31 May 2009 to 18 January 2011 he was the Union Cabinet Minister for Consumer Affairs, Public Distribution, Agriculture and Food. He was again made the leader of the NCP in Parliament in the Lok Sabha.
- Since 19 January 2011 he is the Union Cabinet Minister for Food Processing Industries and Agriculture.
Awards and Honours
- Outstanding Parliamentarian Award from the then President of India Smt. Pratibha Devsinh Patil, 2003.
- Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan, Detroit, USA awarded him an honorary doctorate in the humanities.
- Published Book on Sharad Pawar: Fast Forward, a book containing a collection of speeches delivered by Sharad Pawar was released in 2008 by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Mr. Manmohan Singh.
- In 2017, the Indian government conferred upon him Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honor of India.
Controversies and criticism related to Sharad Pawar
- Sharad Pawar’s name was included in a narco analysis by Abdul Karim Telgi in the Rs 600 billion stamp paper scam which was captured by various Indian news channels.
- The Bharatiya Janata Party demanded Sharad Pawar’s resignation in 2007, accusing him of being involved in a multi-crore scam related to wheat imports.
- The Bombay High Court also issued notices on 27 October 2007 to Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation and organizations led by Sharad Pawar, his nephew Ajit Pawar and his son-in-law Sadanand Sule, citing reasons for granting special privileges.
- In 2010 it was alleged that Pawar and his family members held 16% stake in City Corporation, a company which had placed a bid of Rs. 1176 Crore for Pune Franchise in IPL. The Pawar family, however, has denied the allegations.
- Pawar as Agriculture Minister was heavily criticised and accused of not being able to handle the rise in prices of agricultural products.