Kamal Nath

Kamal Nath
Nath at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, 2008
Union Minister for Urban Development
Incumbent
Assumed office January 19, 2011
Preceded by	Jaipal Reddy
Constituency	Chhindwara
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways
In office May 22, 2009 - January 18, 2011
Preceded by	T R Baalu
Succeeded by	C. P. Joshi
Constituency	Chhindwara
MP
Incumbent
Assumed office 1980
Preceded by	Gargishankar Ramkrishna Mishra
Constituency	Chhindwara
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry
In office May 2004 – April 2009
Constituency	Chhindwara
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Textiles
In office 1995–1996
Constituency	Chhindwara
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Environment and Forests
In office 1991–1995
Constituency	Chhindwara
Personal details
Born	18 November 1946 (1946-11-18) Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Political party	INC
Spouse(s)	Alka Nath
Children	2 sons
Residence	Chhindwara
Religion	Hinduism
Signature
As of September 22, 2006 Source: [2]

Kamal Nath (born 18 November 1946) is an Indian politician and the current Union Cabinet Minister of Urban Development. He is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Chhindwara constituency of Madhya Pradesh and is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC).

Early life

Born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He is an alumnus of The Doon School, and a graduate of St. Xavier's College of the University of Calcutta.

Career

Political career

Kamal Nath was first elected to the 7th Lok Sabha in 1980. He was re-elected to the 8th Lok Sabha in 1985, the 9th Lok Sabha in 1989, and the 10th Lok Sabha in 1991.

He was inducted into the Union Council of Ministers, Ministry of Environment and Forests as Minister of Environment & Forests in June 1991. From 1995 to 1996 he served as Union Minister of State, Textiles (Independent Charge).

He was then elected to the 12th Lok Sabha in 1998 and the 13th Lok Sabha in 1999. From 2001 to 2004, he was the General Secretary of the INC. He was re-elected to the 14th Lok Sabha in the 2004 elections and served as Union Cabinet Minister of Commerce & Industry from 2004 to 2009.

On May 16, 2009 he again won the elections from his constituency for the 15th Lok Sabha and re-entered the Cabinet, this time as Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways. In 2011, as a result of a cabinet reshuffle Kamal Nath replaced Jaipal Reddy to take on his role as Minister of Urban Development. Jaipal replaced Murli Deora as minister of petroleum natural gas.

Political Associations

Kamal Nath is a member of the INC (Indian National Congress) political party and served as General Secretary from 2001-2004.

Nath has close ties with the Nehru-Ghandi family being young friends and schoolmates with Sanjay at the Doon School, an independent boarding school located in Dehradun.

Business career

Kamal Nath serves as president of the board of governors for The Institute of Management Technology (IMT) a premier management and technology institution.

He is Chairman of “Madhya Pradesh Child Development Council” and Patron to the Bharat Yuvak Samaj (Youth Wing of All India Bharat Seva Samaj).

Political Views

Economic Development

Kamal Nath is a strong proponent of economic development in India. At the World Economic Forum (WEF) Davos, Switzerland in 2011 Nath shared his views on improving market access for developing countries in the area of agriculture stating India’s applied tariffs for exports in developed countries was very low. Nath claims that this is due to continued imports through schemes like EPCG (Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme) where tariffs are not levied.

Competing in the World Market

Nath disagrees with the Trade protectionist outlook displayed among struggling countries and considers it to be the wrong response to a financial crisis. He has pushed for stronger international cooperation in India, such as expanding on Indo-German relations. Nath stated for a mutually beneficial relationship with Germany to exist it must rely on using both countries' manufacturing strengths. He outlined focus areas of production including telecom, engineering, environmental technology, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food processing, and renewable energy. Kamal Nath describes India's entrepreneurial spirit and the countries' potential for global commerce growth in his book India's Century.

Kamal Nath on Infrastructure Development

Nath emphasizes the need for infrastructure development in India with projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, a 90 billion dollars industrial development project. The DMIC proposes major expansion of infrastructure and industry and aims to develop an industrial zone across six states in India. Within the first five years of the project expectations are set at doubling employment potential, tripling industrial output, and quadrupling exports from the region.

Public–private partnership (PPP)

Kamal Nath advocates a PPP model on completing such ambitious projects like the DMIC and other infrastructure development projects. He references success with PPP models implemented in India's Metro operations.

Controversies

Rice Export Accusations

In 2007, during Kamal Nath's tenure as Commerce minister, an Empowered Group of Ministers that included Nath, Pranab Mukherjee, and Sharad Pawar helped lift a ban on the export of non-basmati rice. It was alleged that PSUs involved in export of this rice to Africa outsourced the efforts to domestic private companies. It is claimed that the private companies made large profits while the PSUs reported small margins.

Radia Tapes

Kamal Nath is mentioned in the Radia Tapes by Tarun Das, former head of the Confederation of Indian Industry. Das mentioned his support for Nath in the surface transport ministry before making statements that put Nath in a negative light. Das claimed that Nath could make money while conducting national service and could use the ministry as an ATM. In 2010, Das publicly apologized to Nath for these statements, describing his remarks as, "Irresponsible and unfortunate," and "Loose talk."

Involvement in the Anti-Sikh Riots

Kamal Nath was indicted by the Nanavati Commission on allegations that he was involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which were as a result of two of Indira Gandhi's own Sikh bodyguards assassinating her after Operation BlueStar. Only one witness, Mukhtiar Singh, testified to seeing Nath lead an armed mob that attacked and demolished a Gurudwara in Rakab Ganj. However, there was no evidence that he incited the crowd. In fact, one of the key witnesses, Indian Express Photographer Monish Sanjay Suri, stated that Kamal Nath tried to disperse the crowd, and there was no evidence that he encouraged violence during the riot. Several Sikhs were burned alive during the attack. Nath responded to the Commission, saying that he visited the Gurudwara later in the day to investigate the agitation and urge peace.

The Commission Report observed that Nath's testimony was "vague" and "not consistent with the evidence" and that his version of events was "a little of strange." However it disregarded the contradictions in his testimony, saying "it is also required to be considered that he was called upon to give an explanation after about 20 years and probably for that reason he was not able to give more details." In conclusion the Commission said, "In absence of better evidence it is not possible for the Commission to say that he had in any manner instigated the mob or that he was involved in the attack on the Gurudwara". Justice Nanavati further stated that "it would not be proper to come to the conclusion that Kamal Nath had in any manner instigated the mob."

Canadian Sikhs protested his visit to Toronto March 23, 2010.

On April 6, 2010 Sikhs for Justice a US based human rights advocacy group along with two individuals Jasbir Singh and Mohinder Singh filed a lawsuit against Kamal Nath in the Southern District of New York for leading the mob that killed Sikhs and attack Gurdawara Rakab Ganj in Delhi on November 1, 1984. The lawsuit was filed under Alien Torts Claim Act and Torture Victims Protection Act. US District Court issued summons to Kamal Nath asking him to respond to the complaint.Kamal Nath received summons and complaint the same in the evening while he was in Manhattan, New York.

Responsible for Environmental Damage

Kamal Nath was again embroiled in controversy in March 2002 when the Supreme Court, applying the polluter pays principle, imposed a fine of Rs 10,00,000 (US$ 25,000) on Kamal Nath for damaging the environment by building a motel on the bank of Beas river near Kulu-Manali in the state of Himachal Pradesh. This irresponsible act changed the course of the river and thus caused ecological imbalance in that area. The Supreme Court Bench held that Kamal Nath was liable to pay a fine of Rs 10 lakh for causing damage to the sensitive ecology of the area by building Span Motel.

Irresponsible Statements

A New York Times article dated April 15, 2007, quoted Kamal Nath, then India's Commerce Minister as stating that the H-1B visa "has become the outsourcing visa."

Bribery Allegations

As per United States secret diplomatic cable number number 162458 dated 17 July 2008, a Congress Party insider told an American diplomat that Kamal Nath bribed Members of Parliament to help the Congress Party survive a No-confidence motion in the parliament.

Awards and recognition

In 2006 Kamal Nath received an Honorary Doctorate from Jabalpur's Rani Durgavati University for his contributions to the public sector.

Kamal Nath was named the FDI Personality of the Year 2007 by the FDI magazine and the Financial Times Business for his "active efforts to attract foreign businesses to India, boost exports, and promote trade and investment".

In 2008 he was honored with the title “Business Reformer of the year” by The Economic Times.

In September 2011, he was declared to be the richest Cabinet minister in India with assets worth INR 263 Crore (INR 2,630,000,000 or US$ 57 million).

See also

• M. C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath

References

Political offices
Preceded by Jaipal Reddy	Minister of Urban Development January 19, 2011	Incumbent
Preceded by T R Baalu	Minister of Road Transport and Highways May 22, 2009 - January 18, 2011	Succeeded by C. P. Joshi
Preceded by Atal Bihari Vajpayee	Minister of Commerce and Industry May 23, 2004-2009	Succeeded by Anand Sharma