Biographical Sketch
Member of Parliament
12th Lok Sabha
JAKHAR, DR. BAL RAM
[INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS - BIKANER (RAJASTHAN)]
Father's Name Shri Raja Ram
Date of Birth 23 August 1923
Place of Birth Panjkosi, Distt. Ferozepur (Punjab)
Marital Status Married in February 1937
Spouse's Name Smt. Rameshwari Devi
Children Three sons and two daughters
Educational Qualifications
B.A.(Hons.) (Sanskrit)
Educated at Forman Christian College, Lahore (now in
Pakistan)
Profession
Agriculturist and Farmer, Political and Social Worker,
Teacher and Educationist
Permanent Address
Vill. and P.O. Panjkosi
Distt. Ferozepur-152001
(Punjab)
Tel. (01634) 2133
Present Address
40, Canning Lane,
New Delhi-110001
Tels. (011) 3384958, 3385207
Positions Held
1972-79 Member, Punjab Legislative Assembly (two terms)
1973-77 Deputy Minister, Co-operation, Irrigation and
Power, Punjab
1977-79 Leader of the Opposition, Punjab Legislative
Assembly
Leader, Congress (Indira) Legislature Party
1980 Elected to 7th Lok Sabha
1984 Re-elected to 8th Lok Sabha (2nd term)
1980-89 Speaker, Lok Sabha (two terms)
Chairman, (i) Business Advisory Committee;
(ii) Rules Committee; (iii)General Purposes Committee;
and (iv) Standing Committee of the Conference of
Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India
President, (i) Indian Parliamentary Group;
(ii) National Group of Inter-Parliamentary Union;
and (iii) India Branch of the Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association
1990-92 General-Secretary, All India Congress Committee
(Indira) [A.I.C.C.(I)]
1991-96 Re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha (3rd term)
Union Cabinet Minister, Agriculture
1992 onwards Member, Congress Working Committee
1998 Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (4th term)
Chairman, Committee on Petroleum and Chemicals
1998-99 Member, Committee of Privileges*
Member, General Purposes Committee
Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Agriculture
Books Published
(i)"People, Parliament and Administration"; and (ii)"New
Horizons in Agriculture in India"
Literary, Artistic and Scientific Accomplishments
Contributed several articles on agriculture, irrigation,
power and cooperation, etc.; conferred (i) D. Sc. (Honorary)
by Haryana Agriculture University, Hissar; (ii) Vidya
Martand (Honorary) by Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya;
(iii) Krishi Ratna Award of W.A.F.M. Trust, New Delhi; and
(iv) India Udyan Pandit Award, 1975
Social and Cultural Activities
Associated with a number of social, cultural and literary
organisations engaged in constructive activities such as
upliftment of the downtrodden and the weaker sections of the
society, eradication of literacy and rural development, etc.
Special Interests
Development of agriculture, horticulture and rural areas
Favourite Pastime and Recreation
Reading, brisk walking and playing chess
Sports and Clubs
Cricket and volleyball
Countries Visited
Widely travelled; as Speaker of Lok Sabha, led the Indian
Parliamentary Delegations to about 50 countries, 1980-89;
as Union Minister of Agriculture, also led several Indian
Delegations to various countries, 1991-95
Other Information
He has the rare honour of having been elected unanimously
twice to the august office of Speaker i.e. firstly of the
Seventh Lok Sabha on 22 January, 1980 and secondly of the
Eighth Lok Sabha on 16 January 1985 and also earned the
rare distinction of being the only Speaker of Lok Sabha in
Independent India to have presided over two successive Lok
Sabhas for their full terms from 22 January 1980 to 18
December, 1989; Chairman, (i) Third World Hindi Conference,
Delhi; (ii) Bharat Krishak Samaj; (iii) Managing Committee,
Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust; and (iv) Inter-
national Fruit and Vegetable Marketing Association, 1995;
Elected Member, (i) Executive Committee, Inter-Parliamentary
Union (IPU), 1983; (ii) Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
since 1980; and Member, Planning Commission, 1991-96
Election Result of
Bikaner Lok Sabha Constituency
Total electorate 16,42,091
Total votes polled 10,39,717
Votes polled in favour of the first four leading candidates
(1) Dr. Bal Ram Jakhar (I.N.C.) 5,60,257
(2) Shri Mahendrasingh Bhati (B.J.P.) 3,69,632
(3) Shri Dilip Singh Marwal (B.S.P.) 39,377
(4) Shri Shopat Singh Makkasar [C.P.I.(M)]29,390
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