(THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA)
Newly-designated Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath was born on November 18, 1946 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. His father was Late Shri Mahendra Nath and mother is Smt. Leela Nath. Kamal Nath was married to Smt. Alka Nath on January 27, 1973 and has two sons. Shri Kamal Nath is a Bachelor in Commerce from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata.

A political and social worker and farmer Kamal Nath was elected for the first time for the Lok Sabha from Chhindwara parliamentary constituency of Madhya Pradesh in the year 1980. After this, he was elected for the second time for the 8th Lok Sabha in the year 1985, the third time for the 9th Lok Sabha in year 1989 and the fourth time from Chhindwara parliamentary constituency for the 10th Lok Sabha in 1991.

Nath was the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests in the year 1991-95 and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Textiles in year 1995-96. In 1998, Shri Kamal Nath was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha for the fifth time from Chhindwara parliamentary constituency. Shri Nath was a member of the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Chemical related matters, Parliamentary Committee on Local Area Development and Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Power during the year 1998 to 1999. In the year 1998,Kamal Nath was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha for the fifth time from Chhindwara parliamentary constituency.Kamalnath was elected for the sixth time for the 13th Lok Sabha from Chhindwara parliamentary constituency in the year 1999. He was a member of the Finance related Standing Committee between year 1999 to year 2000 and was a member of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Mines and Minerals in the period of 2002-2004.Nath was the General Secretary of the Indian National Congress during the period between year 2001 to 2004 and was elected for the 7th time in 2004 as member of the 14th Lok Sabha.Nath took over the responsibility of the Union Commerce and Industry Minister during the period from May 23, 2004 to the year 2009. He was re-elected from Chhindwara parliamentary constituency in 2009 for the eighth time for the 15th Lok Sabha and was the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways from year 2009 to January 18, 2011. After this, he was also the Union Urban Development Minister from January 19, 2011 to May 26, 2014 and Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs from October 28, 2012 to May 26, 2014. Shri Nath was re-elected for the 9th time to the 16th Lok Sabha from Chhindwara parliamentary constituency in May 2014.Nath was made the temporary Speaker of Lok Sabha from June 4-6, 2014.He was a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee related to Commerce from September 1, 2014 and the member of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs.

Prominent among Nath’s published books are India’s Environmental Concerns, India’s Century and Bharat ki Shatabdi.Nath has special interest in the development of tribal and Dalit sections, wildlife, horticulture, socio-economic issues. He enjoys listening to music in the form of amusement and entertainment.

Nath has been a member of the Kolkata Cricket and Football Club, Tollygunge Club Kolkata and Delhi Flying Club and Ex-Chief Patron, Delhi District Cricket Association. Shri Nath has traveled to many countries. He was a member of the Indian delegation to the United Nations in the year 1982, 1983. He took part in the Conference of Non-Aligned countries in the year 1983, IPU Conference in 1987, Nicaragua, Guatemala conference in the year 1988 and in Cyprus in the year 1990. He was a part of the delegations that went to Tokyo in year 1989, Cyprus in year 1989 the United Kingdom in year 1990. In year 1990, he was the leader of the Indian delegation at the 10th World Forestry Conference in Paris. In the year 1991, he attended the Conference on PREPCOM-IV of UNEP Governing Council, Nairobi and New York and Kuala Lumpur. In the year 1992, he hosted the conference of SAARC Environment Ministers in New Delhi and emerged as the keynote speaker of developing countries in the UNCED held in Rio de Janerio in June 1992. Shri Nath led the World Economic Forum meetings organized in Dabos and Switzerland with the national delegations of Finland, Sweden, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Dubai and UK and UNCED and ANEP. He also took part in the World Trade Organisation meeting and other related ministerial / small ministerial level meetings in various parts of the world.

During his tenure as Minister of Environment and Forests,Nath made significant contribution in the enunciation and development of the National Policy on Ecological Conservation and the Abatement of Pollution. His policy initiatives include the establishment of the Environmental Tribunal, the concept of Environmental Audit, conservation and special measures for protection and conservation of wild life-flora and fauna and the establishment of Environment Brigades and Afforestation Brigades, (development of degraded wastelands and afforestation in India was done on a massive scale under his stewardship), enunciation of the Global Concept on Environmental Tariffs and Conceptualisation of Global Emission Quotas.. During his tenure as Minister of State for Textiles, the country touched new heights in production and export of cotton. The New Textile Policy was successfully launched reaching an all time high export of garments and fabrics after his taking over as Union Cabinet Minister for Commerce & Industry in which generation of employment opportunities alongwith the export was the main focus. During this period, India witnessed a three-time rise in foreign trade and a seven-time rise in direct foreign investment.Nath made specific efforts in the field of intellectual property and industrial design. Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Act was made due to his efforts. Nath’s firm hold on economic issues and total diplomatic skills were evident in the agreements with the World Trade Organization, where he emerged as one of the key producers of associations like G-20 and G-33 and NAMA-11. The views expressed by Shri Nath in connection with the interests of developing countries at the Ministerial level meeting of the World Trade Association held in Hong Kong in the year 2005 strongly influenced the members.

Nath is the President of Governing Board, Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad; Lajpatrai Memorial College Committee, Ghaziabad and Chairman of the Centre for Advanced Education, Nagpur.

Kamal Nath has been awarded with the FDI Personality of the Year Award, 2007 in entire Asia and the world. He has also been awarded with the National Coal Mine Labourers Federation and Bharat Youth Samaj. He became a member of the Indian National Congress in the year 1968. Shri Nath has also been the member of Congress Working Committee from Sepember 2002 to July 2004. Before being nominated as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, he was elected nine times for the Lok Sabha and is one of the seniormost members of the 16th Lok Sabha.

Nath was appointed as the temporary Speaker by the President of India before the commencement of the meeting of the 16th Lok Sabha i.e. from June 4, 2014 till the election of the Speaker, i.e. till June 6, 2014 to fulfil the responsibilities of the Speaker’s office.

Nath became the Chairman of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee on April 26, 2018.Kamal Nath was elected leader of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Legislature Party on December 14, 2018.Nath will be sworn as chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on 17 December,2018.