Vinod Tawde
Vinod Tawde (born 20 July 1963) is an Indian politician from Maharashtra and a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was the General Secretary for Maharashtra unit of the party, President for Mumbai, All India National Executive Council Member and a key member of co-ordination Committee of the BJP for the 12th and 13th Lok Sabha Election
MLA Vinod Sridhar Tawde | |
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Minister Of Higher & Technical Education Marathi Bhasha Cultural Affairs Government of Maharashtra | |
In office 31 October 2014 – 8 November 2019 | |
Governor | C.V. Rao |
Succeeded by | Uday Samant |
Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly | |
In office 19 October 2014 – 24 October 2019 | |
Preceded by | Gopal Shetty |
Succeeded by | Sunil Rane |
Constituency | Borivali (Mumbai Suburban) |
Personal details | |
Born | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | 20 July 1963
Political party | Bhartiya Janata Party |
Spouse(s) | Varsha Tawde. |
Children | Anvee Tawde (Daughter) |
Residence | Mumbai |
Education | Higher Secondary School Certificate |
Occupation | Politician |
Website | official website |
Vinod Tawde was the minister for School Education,Higher and technical education,Sports and Youth welfare, Minority development as well as Marathi Bhasha(Language) and culture;[1] this is his third consecutive term as the Member of the Legislative Council of Maharashtra. Earlier, he was the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
Early life and education
Vinod Tawde was born on 20 July 1964 in a Maratha family[2] in the Girangaon area of Bombay (present-day Mumbai).[3]
Vinod Tawde is a Higher Secondary School Certificate holder from Sathaye College (previously known as 'Parle College'). After passing the Higher Secondary School Certificate examination, Tawde pursued a vocational course from Dnyaneshwar Vidyapeeth, Pune which is an Educational Trust that provides technical training courses.
Political career
In 1995, Vinod Tawde was first named as the Maharashtra General Secretary of the BJP and he served up to 1999. Once again in 2002, he was assigned the responsibility; he served the term up to 2011.[4] In 1999, Vinod Tawde was elected as the President of the Mumbai Metropolitan Unit of the BJP. He enjoys the record of being the youngest candidate elected for this position.[5] Vinod Tawde is on the board of directors of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, a non-profit organisation that provides leadership training to socio-political activists.
In Maharashtra assembly election - 2014 Vinod Tawde elected as Member of Legislative assembly of Maharashtra from Borivali assembly constituency. He was sworn in as a minister of school education and sports, higher and technical education, medical education, Marathi Bhasha and cultural affairs at an extravagant ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on 31 October 2014.[6]
Initiatives taken
2011
Vinod Tawde consistently supported mill workers who raised their housing concerns; he assured them a fair and just resolution.[7][8] Vinod Tawde resolved the issue of overdue insurance premium of 45,000 in the police department.
2012
Vinod Tawde demanded an early completion of memorial of Shivaji in the Arabian Sea which was long pending and was first proposed in 1980.[9] He demanded a tweak in law to bring Shivaji Park out of the silence zone stating that the park has a rich political history and prohibiting public rallies out there was not a good precedent.[10][11] Between 1999 and 2003, there took a preferential allotment of over 20 hectares of MHADA land spread over 67 plots in Mumbai at throwaway prices to politicians or their trusts by a state sub-committee comprising a handful of Congress and NCP ministers. In 2012, Vinod Tawde asked the chief minister, Prithviraj Chavan to take back those plots where there was nothing built till then.[12] In the interest of creating employment and self-employment opportunities for SC youth, he urged that MIDC should allot plots to organisations like DICCI on priority basis. Vinod Tawde ensured that the Koli brethren was given priority at the time when the municipal markets was being redeveloped. In their difficult times, Vinod tawde stood by the Konkan mango farmers. He urged that they should be compensated for crop loss;[13] however the government did consider his proposal. Vinod Tawde exposed the fact that investigation in the case of murder of journalist J Dey was on a wrong track and Jigna Vora has been purposefully implicated in the case.[14][15]
2013
Vinod Tawde was the first leader to demand a separate budget for agriculture[16] and he consistently proposed measures that the government should implement to enhance agriculture productivity and prevent farmer-suicides. In connection to the Adarsh housing society scam, Vinod Tawde demanded a special session of the state Legislature to table the action taken report (ATR);[17] however the government took no action. He also demanded a SIT probe into wakf land allotments.[18] With the help of a documentary evidence, Vinod Tawde exposed the fact that even after spending Rs. 70,000 crore, irrigated area in the state increased by only 1%.[19] He used various legislative devices to compel the government to establish an enquiry committee under chairmanship of Madhavrao Chitale for investigation of corruption in irrigation sector. He presented a 15,000-pager documentary evidence[20] before the Chitale Committee; the report of the committee held not only officers but also ministers guilty of corruption. Vinod Tawde condemned government’s decision to start a textile park in Baramati; in his opinion the government should have selected a cotton producing district to set up the facility.[21] He further pointed out that the textile policy announced by the government was non beneficial for farmers.
Academic qualification controversy
Vinod Tawde claimed that he obtained a Bachelor of Engineering Degree from Dnyaneshwar Vidyapeeth, Pune. However, Dnyaneshwar Vidyapeeth is not associated with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) or the Directorate of Technical Education, Maharashtra.[22][23][24] The Bombay High court had in a 2005 order, said that Dnyaneshwar Vidyapeeth does not have any rights to award degrees, and that the degrees issued even before 2005 were invalid.[25]
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, has demanded Tawde's resignation over his bogus degree.[26] In defence of Tawde, Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra said that Tawde never suppressed the fact and there was no need for him to resign.[27][28]
References
- "Vinod Tawde promises corruption free environment and work". 3 November 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
- http://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/Gadkari-Steps-in-to-Keep-Maharashtra-House-in-Order/2014/07/06/article2316344.ece
- "Vinod Tawde". Color of Nation. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
- "SHRI VINOD SHREEDHAR TAWDE, LEADER OF OPPOSITION, MAHARASHTRA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL - Curriculum Vitae". Legislative Bodies In India. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
- "Vinod Tawde". Color of Nation. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Maharashtra-cabinet-portfolios-announced-CM-Devendra-Fadnavis-keeps-home-housing/articleshow/45012636.cms
- "No free houses for all mill workers: Chavan". The Times of India. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "Maharashtra govt wants to house mill workers on salt pans". Daily News & Analysis. 15 October 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "MLCs demand early completion of Shivaji memorial". The Times of India. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "State govt pushing for tweaks in law to bring Shivaji Park out of silence zone". Hindustan Times. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "Govt rallies to bypass Shivaji Park ban". Daily News & Analysis. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "Housing authority could cancel plot allotments to politicians,trusts". The Indian Express. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "Konkan mango farmers to get compensation for crop loss". The Indian Express. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "Jigna Vora arrested without strong evidence, says Vinod Tawde". The Indian Express. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "Jigna Vora Held Without Strong Evidence: Vinod Tawde". Outlook India. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "NCP against the idea of separate agriculture budget". MoneyControl. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "Adarsh housing society scam: Vinod Tawde wants special session to discuss action taken report". Daily News & Analysis. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "Vinod Tawde seeks SIT probe into wakf land allotments". The Economic Times. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "Greed: The Inside Story Of 70,000 Crore Irrigation Scam". 6 October 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "BJP submits irrigation scam proof". The New Indian Express. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "State Govt is doing nothing to set up Textile Park in Vidarbha, hub of cotton, says Tawde". 15 December 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- "Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde holds degree from unrecognised university". DNA. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- "Maharashtra HRD minister Vinod Tawde has dodgy B.E." The Asian Age. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
- "Maharashtra minister Vinod Tawade in row over educational qualification". The Indian Express. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
- "Fake varsity under HC scanner". DNA. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- "Vinod Tawde's False Educational Qualification". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- "Vinod Tawde's degree is non-issue: Devendra Fadnavis". The Economic Times. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- "Fake degree controversy: Fadnavis backs Vinod Tawde, calls it 'non-issue'". First Post. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
External links
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by |
Cabinet Minister for Education, Maharashtra State December 2014–present |
Incumbent |
Preceded by |
Cabinet Minister for Culture, Maharashtra State December 2014–present |
Incumbent |
Preceded by |
Maharashtra State Guardian Minister for Mumbai Suburban district December 2014–present |
Incumbent |