Santosh Mohan Dev

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Sontosh Mohan Dev is a veteran Indian political leader and a key member of the Indian National Congress. Mr. Dev was first elected to the Parliament in 1980, the first of his seven terms in office as the Member Of Parliament. Out of these seven, he has represented Silchar, Assam six times and he was elected from Tripura once. Mr Dev has the rare distinction of being elected from two different states.

One of Rajiv Gandhi's (left) most trusted ministers

1 Career
2 Achievements
3 Personal
4 External Links

[edit] Career

During his political career as an elected representative, Mr. Dev has held crucial cabinet and non Cabinet posts. Mr. Dev had represented India in the Population Conference held in China in 1982 and was a member of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference at Isle of Man in 1984. He was the Union Minister of State for Tourism and Communications during 1986-1988 and the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs during 1988-1989. He also held the charge of Union Minister of State for Steel (Independent Charge) in 1991. Mr. Dev entered the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1980. Subsequently, he was elected to Lok Sabha in 1985, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1999 and 2004. Mr. Dev was re-elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from Silchar in Assam. Mr. Dev was Chairman, Public Accounts Committee during 1990-1991 and was a member of the Parliamentary Committee of General Purpose Committee. He was also member of Tea Board during 1981-83. Between 1999-2004 Mr. Dev held various parliamentary responsibilities including being the Chairman of Committee on Energy, Member of House Committee and Member of General Purposes Committee.

Santosh was minister of state for communication at a crucial time in the mid eighties and played and important role in its emergence from state control^{(Citation needed)} (seen here in the mid eighties initiating the laying of cables across the Arabian Sea

[edit] Achievements

As of 2008, he is the Minister of Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises in the Union Cabinet. His salient achievements include, the deregulation of steel in the mid 1990s as minister of steel which unshackled potential of the indigeneous steel industry making India a global steel powerhouse^{(Citation needed)}. He was also instrumental in setting up a national university in Silchar, Assam^{(Citation needed)}. He played a key role in the freight equalisation scheme in the early 1990s in India which removed unequal rail freight charges among the states, thereby making them more competitive^{(Citation needed)}.

He is a third generation Congressman. His father was one of the first legislators of independent India. His grandfather was also an active member of the Indian freedom struggle.

Santosh is currently in the Manmohan Singh cabinet as minister of heavy industries and public enterprise. Despite having to contend with the strident left allies he has still managed to devolve considerable powers of decision making from the government to the management of PSUs

[edit] Personal

Santosh Mohan Dev is the eldest of three sons of the renowned Bengali North Eastern Freedom Fighter Satindra Mohan Dev. Satindra Mohan Dev was known as fierce opponent of British Rule and enjoyed the personal confidence of Jawaharlal Nehru.^{(Citation needed)} He was jailed a number of times by the British for his resistance activities. In the mid Sixties in an independent India he was offered the governorship of Bihar, but he turned it down, preferring to stay in his hometown of Silchar. A member of the Dev family has occupied an elected office from South Assam for all but 10 years of the sixty years since Indian Independence.

Santosh Mohan Dev was educated at G.C college in Silchar, Assam and has an MBA from the Welsh College In Cardiff UK^{(Citation needed)}. Shri Dev has four daughters and his Wife Bithika Dev is currently a Member of the state legislative assembly of Assam from his home constituency of Silchar. Mr. Dev is also a certified and professionally qualified Football Referee. In his earlier years Mr. Dev was also the winner of the All Assam Lawn Tennis Championship.

Mr. Dev now shares his time between Silchar, his parliamentary constituency and His cabinet duties in New Delhi. An avid reader, Mr Dev is personally inspired by Famous Bengali writers like Bankim Chandra and Rabindranath Tagore.^{(Citation needed)}