An agriculture ministry or department of agriculture is a ministry or other government agency charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister for agriculture.

Specific duties may relate to regulation, promotion, agricultural research, price supports and agricultural subsidies, plant diseases and invasive species.Some ministries have additional responsibilities in related policy areas such as forestry and fisheries; rural affairs; food and food quality, security, and safety; and consumer protection. In some countries, agriculture ministries are responsible for matters relating to the environment as well while others assign that duty to a separate environment ministry.

Agriculture ministries by country[link]

Country	Subnational division	Office	Head
Australia	Australia-wide	Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry	Secretary of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
	Western Australia	Department of Agriculture and Food	Secretary of Agriculture and Food
Azerbaijan		Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan Republic	Minister of Agriculture
Bahamas		Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources	Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources
Belgium		Ministry of Agriculture	MInister of Agriculture
Bolivia		Ministry of Rural Development and Lands	Minister of Rural Development and Lands
Bulgaria		Ministry of Agriculture and Food	Minister of Agriculture and Food
Cambodia		Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries	Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Canada	Canada-wide	Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada	Minister of Agriculture
	Manitoba	Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives	Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives
	New Brunswick	Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture	Secretary of Agriculture and Aquaculture
	Ontario	Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs	Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
	Saskatchewan	Ministry of Agriculture	Minister of Agriculture
People's Republic of China		Ministry of Agriculture
Colombia		Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Croatia		Ministry of Agriculture
Denmark		Ministry of Food, Fisheries and Agriculture	Minister of Food, Fisheries and Agriculture
Egypt		Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation
Ethiopia		Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
European Union		Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development	Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development
Finland		Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Finland)
France		Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries, Rural Affairs and Regional Planning	Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries, Rural Affairs and Regional Planning
Germany		Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection
Georgia		Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia	Minister of Agriculture of Georgia
Greece		Ministry for Rural Development and Food	Minister for Rural Development and Food
Hong Kong		Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department	Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation
Hungary		Ministry of Rural Development	Minister of Rural Development
Iceland		Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture	Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture
India		Ministry of Agriculture
Indonesia		Ministry of Agriculture	Minister of Agriculture
Iran		Ministry of Agriculture	Minister of Agriculture
Ireland		Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine	Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Isle of Man		Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Israel		Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Italy		Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies
Japan		Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Laos		Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos	Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos
Mexico		Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA)	Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food
Netherlands		Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation	Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation
New Zealand		Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry	Minister of Agriculture
Nigeria		Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources
Norway		Ministry of Agriculture and Food Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs
Pakistan		Ministry of Agriculture	Minister of Agriculture
Peru		Ministry of Agriculture/Coordinator FAO-ONU	Mr. Rafael Quevedo Flores/Mr.Francisco Costa Esparza
Philippines		Department of Agriculture	Secretary of Agriculture/ DA Secretary
Poland		Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Portugal		Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries	Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries
Romania		Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Rural Development
Russia		Ministry of Agriculture	Minister of Agriculture
South Africa		Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries	Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
South Korea		Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
South Sudan		Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Spain		Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Sweden		Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries	Minister for Rural Affairs
Syria		Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform	Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform
Taiwan		Council of Agriculture
Thailand		Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
Turkey		Ministry of Agriculture
Uganda		Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
Ukraine		Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food (Ukraine)
United Kingdom		Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Northern Ireland	Department of Agriculture and Rural Development	Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
	Scotland	Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department
United States		United States Department of Agriculture	Secretary of Agriculture
	California	California Department of Food and Agriculture
	Florida	Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services	Florida Commissioner of Agriculture
	Illinois	Illinois Department of Agriculture
	Michigan	Michigan Department of Agriculture
	New Jersey	New Jersey Department of Agriculture
	Oklahoma	Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry
	Oregon	Oregon Department of Agriculture
	Puerto Rico	Department of Agriculture
	Texas	Texas Department of Agriculture
	Vermont	Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets
	Washington	Washington State Department of Agriculture	Director of Agriculture
Vietnam		Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development	Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development

See also[link]

• EurepGAP
• Food Administration

External links[link]

• Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture website
• Russian Ministry of Agriculture website
• U.S. Department of Agriculture website

Eugene "Gene" Francis Whelan, PC OC ( /ˈhwiːlən/; born July 11, 1924) is a retired Canadian politician. Whelan, a farmer, first won a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in the 1962 election representing the southwestern Ontario riding of Essex. He sat continuously in the House of Commons until his retirement in 1984 and was later a Senator.^[1]

Born in Amherstburg, Ontario,^[1] the son of Charles B. Whelan and Frances L. Kelly, he was educated in Windsor and Walkerville. In 1960, Whelan married Elizabeth Pollinger. He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Ontario assembly in 1959. Whelan served as warden of Essex County in 1962.^[2] He was also reeve for Anderdon Township.^[1]

In 1972, Whelan became Minister of Agriculture in the cabinet of Pierre Trudeau, and held the position until Trudeau's retirement in 1984 except during the 1979-1980 Joe Clark government.^[1] He became a well-known figure due to his plain-spokenness (which occasionally got him in trouble) and his green stetson hat.^[3]

Whelan ran to succeed Trudeau at the 1984 Liberal leadership convention, but came in last.^[3]

He served as president of the United Nations World Food Council from 1983 to 1985.^[4]

Eugene Whelan was appointed as Canadian ambassador to the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, prompting Progressive Conservative Party of Canada leader Brian Mulroney to promise to rescind the appointment if he became Prime Minister. Mulroney won the 1984 election, and recalled Whelan as one of his first acts of office.^[5]

In 1987, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.^[4]

In 1996, Whelan was appointed to the Canadian Senate by Jean Chrétien, and served in the chamber until he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 in 1999.^[1]

Whelan's daughter, Susan Whelan was elected to the House of Commons in 1993 in her father's old riding and, in 2002, became Minister of International Trade in Chrétien's cabinet. She was dropped from Cabinet when Paul Martin became prime minister.^[6]

Whelan was the author with Rick Archbold of Whelan: The Man in the Green Stetson, ISBN 0-7725-1621-9, published in 1986.^[1]

References[link]

v t e Ministers of Agriculture Ministers of Agriculture (1867-1995) Chapais Dunkin Pope Saint-Just Burpee (acting) Pelletier Pope Carling Angers Ouimet (acting) Montague Ferguson (acting) Montague Fisher Burrell Crerar Calder (acting) Tolmie Motherwell Stevens (acting) Tolmie Motherwell Weir Crerar (acting) Gardiner Harkness Hamilton Hays Greene Olson Whelan Wise Whelan Ferguson Wise Mazankowski McKnight Mayer Goodale Ministers of Agriculture and Agri-Food (1995-) Goodale Vanclief Speller Mitchell Strahl Ritz

Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar (Marathi: शरदचंद्र गोविंदराव पवार; born 12 December 1940), popularly known as Sharad Pawar), is the president of the Nationalist Congress Party which he founded in 1999, after separating from the Indian National Congress. He has previously held the posts of Minister of Defence and Chief Minister of Maharashtra and currently serves as Minister of Agriculture, Government of India.

Pawar is from the town of Baramati in the Pune district of Maharashtra. He leads the NCP delegation in the Lok Sabha, representing his constituency of Madha in Maharashtra. He has a prominence in national politics as well as regional politics of Maharashtra, although marred by frequent corruption allegations.

Pawar also served as the Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India from 2005 to 2008. In 2010, Sharad Pawar became the International Cricket Council president after England's David Morgan.^[1]

Early life and family history[link]

Pawar is one of the ten children (six sons and four daughters) born to Govindrao Pawar and Shardabai baramati). Govindrao was employed by the Baramati farmers' Cooperative ( Sahakari Kharedi Vikri Sangh) while his mother looked after the family farm at Katewadi, ten kilometers from Baramati. Most of siblings were well educated and were either professionals or ran their own businesses. Pawar studied at BrihanMaharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC)in Pune. He was an average student, however, active in student politics. Pawar's first political act was when he organized a protest march for Goan Independence in Pravaranagar in 1956.,^[2] Pawar is married to Pratibha (Shinde). They have one daughter, Supriya who is married to Sadanand Sule and now is active in politics. Pawar's nephew, Ajit Pawar is also a prominent politician in his own right and presently serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Pawar's younger brother, Pratap runs the influential Marathi daily, Sakal

Political career[link]

Till 1990[link]

Sharad Pawar entered the Maharashtra legislative assembly for the first time in 1967 from Baramati, representing the undivided Congress Party. Yashwantrao Chavan was the political mentor of Sharad Pawar.^[3]

Pawar broke away from the Congress to form a coalition MODI28 government with the opposition Janata Sangh in 1978 becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the first time at a time when Indira Gandhi had become incredibly unpopular due to her imposition of Emergency in 1975^{[citation needed]}. This Progressive Democratic Front government was dismissed in February 1980, following Indira Gandhi's return to power at the Centre.

power at the Centre.

In the elections that frty won the majority in state assembly and A.R. Antulay,took over as the chief minister of the state. Pawar took over the Presidency of the Congress in 1981. For the first time, he won Lok Sabha election from Baramati parliamentary constituency in 1984. He also won state assembly elections of March 1985 from Baramati and preferred to continue in state politics for a while and resigned from the Lok Sabha. His party, the Indian Congress (Socialist) won 54 seats out of 288 in the state assembly and he became the leader of the opposition.

His returning to the Congress has been cited as a reason for the rise of the Shiv Sena at that time. In June 1988, Prime Minister of India and Congress President Rajiv Gandhi decided to induct then Maharashtra Chief Minister Shankarrao Chavan into Union Cabinet as Finance Minister and Sharad Pawar was chosen to replace Chavan as chief minister. Sharad Pawar had the task of checking the rise of the Shiv Sena in state politics, which was a potential challenge to the dominance of Congress party in the state^{[citation needed]}. In 1989 Lok Sabha elections, Congress party won 28 seats out of 48 in Maharashtra. In the state assembly elections of February 1990, the alliance between the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party posed a stiff challenge to the Congress. Congress fell short of an absolute majority in the state assembly, winning 141 seats out 288. Sharad Pawar was sworn in as chief minister again on March 4, 1990 with the support of 12 independent MLAs.

Early 1990s[link]

During the course of election campaign, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. There were reports in the media that Pawar's name was being considered for the Prime Minister's post along with those of P.V. Narasimha Rao and N.D. Tiwari.^[4][5][6] However the Congress Parliamentary Party elected P.V. Narasimha Rao as its leader and he was sworn in as Prime Minister on June 21, 1991. Rao decided to induct Pawar as Defence Minister. On June 26, 1991, Pawar took over as that portfolio, continuing till March 1993. After Pawar's successor in Maharashtra, Sudhakarrao Naik stepped down, Rao sent Pawar back as chief minister of the state.

He was sworn in as chief minister for his fourth and most controversial term^{[citation needed]} on March 6, 1993. Almost immediately, Mumbai, the financial capital of India and the state capital of Maharashtra, was rocked with series of bomb blasts on March 12, 1993.

Mid 1990s[link]

The Deputy Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, G R Khairnar made a series of accusations against Pawar for being involved in corruption and protecting the criminals.^[7][8] Though Khairnar could not produce any evidence in support of his claims, it inevitably affected Pawar's popularity. Notable social worker Anna Hazare started a fast unto death to demand expulsion of 12 officers of the Forest department of Government of Maharashtra, who had been accused of corruption. The opposition parties accused Pawar's government of trying to shield the corrupt officers. The 1994 Gowari stampede occurred at Nagpur during the Winter Session of Maharashtra State Assembly and killed 114 people. Nagpur Police were trying to disperse almost 50000 Gowari protesters using baton charge but it created panic and triggered stampede amongst protesters.^[9] Allegations were made that the mishap occurred because welfare minister Madhukarrao Pichad did not meet with the delegation of the Vanjara people in time. Though Pichad stepped down owing moral responsibility for the mishap, this incident was another setback to Sharad Pawar's government.

The elections to the Vidhan Sabha were due to be held in 1995. The Shiv Sena and BJP combine was leading the Congress in the polls, and thess in the polls, and there was widespread rebellion in the Congress party. The Shiv Sena-BJP combine won 138 seats while Congress party retained only 80 seats in the state assembly. Sharad Pawar had to step down and Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi took over as chief minister on March 14, 1995.

Till the Lok Sabha elections of 1996, Sharad Pawar served as the Leader of the Opposition in State Legislative Council. In the 1996 General elections, he won from the Baramati seat and has not returned to the State Assembly since.

1997 till date[link]

In June 1997, he unsuccessfully challenged Sitaram Kesri for the post of Congress President. In the mid-term parliamentary elections of 1998, Sharad Pawar not only won from his constituency, Baramati but also led the Congress to an emphatic win in Maharashtra. His move to align with the Republican Party of India (Athvale) and Samajwadi Party for the elections in the state brought rich dividents and the Congress party and allies won 37 seats out of 48 in the state. Sharad Pawar served as Leader of Opposition in 12th Lok Sabha.

After 12th Lok Sabha was dissolved and elections to 13th Lok Sabha were due, Pawar, P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar demanded that the Congress Party needed to project someone born in India as the Prime Ministerial candidate and not the Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, who had entered party politics and replaced Kesri as Congress President.

In June 1999, Pawar and Sangma founded the Nationalist Congress Party. His party had to align with the Congress party to form a coalition government in Maharashtra as neither party could win an absolute majority on its own in the 1999 assembly elections. Pawar, however, did not return to state politics, and Vilasrao Deshmukh of the Congress was chosen as Chief Minister, with Chagan Bhujbal representing the NCP as his deputy. The alliance has endured at the national and state level to this day.

After 2004 Lok Sabha elections, he joined the United Progressive Alliance government headed by Manmohan Singh as the Minister of Agriculture.

On November 29, 2005, he was elected President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

He was appointed Union Minister of Agriculture and of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution on May 28, 2009

In Jan 2012, He announced that he will not contest the next Lok Sabha election (Upcoming in 2014) and make way for a younger leadership, a move that is bound to create a stir in his party as well as the Congress.^[10] Al though at 71, his retirement plans put the focus on the claims of his nephew Ajit Pawar as also daughter Supriya Sule.

Links with criminals[link]

In 2002–03, the then Maharashtra Chief Minister Sudhakarrao made a statement that the state leader of Indian National Congress party and erstwhile Chief Minister Sharad Pawar, had asked him to "go easy on Pappu Kalani", a well known criminal-turned-politician now.^[11] Shiv Sena Chief, Bal Thakare, had later concurred with these allegations.^[12] Further, Sudhakarrao also alleged that it was possible that Kalani and Hitendra Thakur, another criminal-turned-politician from Virar, had been given tickets to contest election for Maharashtra State Legislature at the behest of Sharad Pawar who also put in a word for Naik with the police when the latter was arrested for his role in post-Babri Masjid Demolition riots in Mumbai.^[13]

Sharad Pawar is also alleged to have close links with the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim^[14] through Ibrahim's henchman Lakhan Singh based in the Middle East and close relationship with Shahid Balwa, also a suspect in the 2G spectrum scam. These allegations were strengthened by the revelation about Balwa's business partner, Vinod Goenka's controversial commercial project in Yerawada, Pune, being constructed on the same survey number as Pawar's family friend, Atul Chordia, had constructed the Panchshil Tech Park. Khadse alleged that it was Balwa who had applied for environmental clearance for the two projects, a charge that Chordia refuted. Coincidentally, Chordia's Panchshil Pvt Ltd has Pawar's daughter, Supriya Sule, and her husband Sadanand as investors.^[15] The state government's decision to hand over a 3-acre plot of the Yerawada police station for "re-development" to Balwa's construction was retracted following Balwa's arrest.

Criticism and allegations of corruption[link]

Stamp-Paper Scam Connection Controversy[link]

Abdul Karim Telgi cited Pawar's name in relation to the 600 billion rupee stamp-paper scam, during a narcoanalysis filmed by various Indian news channels, wherein he also mentioned Chhagan Bhujbal^[16]

Controversial Wheat Imports[link]

In 2007, the BJP asked for Pawar's resignation after alleging he was involved in a multi-crore scam involving wheat imports. In May 2007 a tender floated by the Food Corporation of India for procurement of wheat was cancelled when the lowest bid received was for 263 USD/ton. The government subsequently allowed private traders to purchase wheat directly from farmers that year resulting in a paucity of wheat to stock FCI granaries. By July 2007 the shortage at FCI was large enough to require import of wheat at a much higher price of 320–360 USD/ton. Taking advantage of this, traders who had domestically purchased wheat at 900 INR/ton earlier, were now offering the same to FCI at 1,300 INR/ton.^[17][18]

Land Allotment[link]

On October 27, 2007, the Bombay High Court served notices to institutions headed by Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar and Sadanand Sule (Sharad Pawar's son-in-law) along with a corresponding notice served to the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation (MKVDC) on why special privileges were given to Pawar and his family. This was done in consideration of a Public Interest Litigation No. 148 of 2006, filed by Shamsunder Potare alleging that the land said allocations in Pune, made in 2002, were illegal. The institutions and properties mentioned include:

• Two 141.15-acre (0.5712 km²) plots given allotted to Vidya Pratishthan, an educational society headed by Sharad Pawar
• A 2-acre (8,100 m²) plot allotted to Anant Smriti Pratishthan, headed by Ajit Pawar, the Maharashtra state minister for irrigation and Sharad Pawar's nephew
• A 130,000 square metre (32.12 acre) plot allotted to Lavasa Corporation, owned by Sadanand Sule, Sharad Pawar's son-in-law at the time. He handed over his stake in 2006.
• A 1-acre (4,000 m²) plot allotted to Shivajinagar Agriculture College
• A 3-acre (12,000 m²) plot allotted to Sharadchandraji Scout and Guide Training Institute

These allocations were made allegedly under NCP leader and minister Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar who was in charge of MKVDC at the time.^[19][20] Sharad Pawar was served a contempt of court notice on May 1, 2008 in connection with this case for issuing statements to the press even though the matter was subjudice at the time, that was later rejected by the court. Also in connection with the case, the respondents were directed not to create third-party interests in the property under dispute and to undertake any developments at their own risk.^[21][22]

IPL Exemption From Tax Controversy[link]

In 2010, In case of IPL exemption from tax, Shiv Sena MLA Subhash Desai had alleged that state cabinet decided in January this year to impose the tax, before this year's IPL season started, but the decision was not implemented because of NCP chief Sharad Pawar's association with BCCI.^[23] Bombay High Court on August 2010 said there was "nothing on record" to show that the Union Minister influenced the Maharashtra government's decision to exempt Indian Premier League matches from entertainment tax.^[24]

Controversy Faced After Assets Declaration[link]

In 2011, Sharad Pawar declared his assets to be worth 12 crore as part of a mandatory disclosure, but his critics claimed that his wealth far exceeded the stated amount.^[25][26] In 2010, it was alleged that the Pawar family indirectly held a 16% stake in the City Corporation, which had bid 1176 crore for the IPL Pune franchise. Pawar and his family denied the allegations, but the IPL bidder's board resolution contradicted their claims.^[27][28][29]

Nira Radia's Controversial Allegations[link]

In 2011, Under investigation of 2G spectrum scam Corporate Nira Radia has told the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar may be controlling the controversial DB Realty, media reports said on Thursday. According to the reports, she also told the investigative agency that he may have spoken with former telecom minister A Raja about the allocation of spectrum and licence to Swan Telecom. Radia also said that she had no documentary proof to back up her allegation.^[30] Pawar has denied any link with former DB managing director Shahid Balwa who is now in CBI custody.

Criticism Faced After Extreme Hike in Prices of Agricultural Produce[link]

As the Cabinet Minister for Agriculture, Pawar was consistently accused of being incapable of handling the extreme hike in prices of agricultural produce:

• Wheat import in 2007 – Bombay High Court issued notices to Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, questioning the decision to import defective red wheat and to submit details of procurement of the crop from different states and the exact process of importing it.^[31]
• Sugar prices in 2009 – Opposition parties, including the BJP and the CPI(M) accused Sharad Pawar of engineering a steep rise in the price of sugar to the advantage of hoarders and importers.^[32]
• Onion prices in 2010–11 – The opposition have accused him to be responsible on the same issue.^[33][34][35]

Slapping Incident[link]

This section's representation of one or more viewpoints about a controversial issue may be unbalanced or inaccurate. Please improve the article or discuss the issue on the talk page.(December 2011)

Pawar was slapped by a youth named Harvinder Singh at a the New Delhi Municipal Corporation centre while leaving the premises after attending a literary function on 24 November 2011.^[36] The attacker, who previously is said to have assaulted former telecom minister Sukh Ram, was later arrested.

Motivation[link]

Harvinder Singh is an auto-rickshaw driver and has no political affiliations. He said after slapping Pawar in Hindi that 'He is a thief, they are all thieves'. He said that he slapped Pawar because of corruption and price-rise.

Reactions[link]

All leading political parties in India condemned the attack.^[37] Some politicians argued that violence should not be used as a means of raising concern.^[38][39]

The youth who slapped Pawar was highly praised on YouTube^[40] by common people, however politicians argued that violence should not be used as a means of raising concern.^[38][39] There were also several fan pages created on Facebook.^[41][42] There were parallels drawn with revolutionary and martyr Bhagat Singh,^[43] and pages advocating the shaming of more corrupt politicians.^[44]

India Today reported that the opinion of its online readers was in favour of further shaming of corrupt people holding public office.^[45] There was also widespread criticism of the NCP's call for a bandh.^[46][47] DNA India's readers also praised the^[48] attack on Sharad Pawar and expressed happiness that someone of them did this to a corrupt politician like Pawar.

The Times of India reported that Harvinder has been attacked multiple times, since being released from police custody once on January 15 and then again on February 25.^[49]

Kolaveri parody[link]

A parody of Why This Kolaveri Di, a track from a Tamil movie '3' which is honored by YouTube with a Gold Award for getting the most number of hits,^[50] based on the Sharad Pawar slapping incident, known as "Chamaat Song"^[51] (Slap Song) was posted on YouTube . This track is listed in "Top 10 Versions of 'Kolaveri Di' Song"^[52] by the Times of India. The track received 964,729 hits by evening of 2 December 2011, within a week of its release on 25 November.^[53]

Promotion of Endosulfan[link]

Even though Endosulfan has been banned, India is the only one country which is against global banning of Endosulfan. In spite of its known negative health effects, Sharad Pawar made a remark that Endosulfan is not yet proved dangerous. This remark prompted activist Vandana Shiva to call him a corrupt minister.^[54][55][56]

Sports Administration[link]

Pawar has interests in kabbadi, kho kho, wrestling and football. He has served as the head of various sports organizations, including

• Mumbai Cricket Association
• Maharashtra Wrestling Association
• Maharashtra Kabbadi Association
• Maharashtra Kho Kho Association
• Maharastra Olympics Association
• Board of Control for Cricket in India President 2005–2008
• International Cricket Council Vice President^[57]
• International Cricket Council President^[58]

Pawar was president of Pune International Marathon Trust, which host Pune International Marathon for last 22 years.

The Annual Cycling race from Bombay to Pune, is also held c/o. him. Its usually on the Sunday closest to his birthday, 12 Dec.

See also[link]

• Ajit Pawar, Dy. Chief Minister of Maharashtra and MLA, his nephew.
• Supriya Sule, his daughter, MP Loksabha.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• P. K. Ravindranath (February 1, 1992) Sharad Pawar- the making of a modern maratha South Asia Books. ISBN 81-85674-46-9
• Page 23 of the Times of India, New Delhi, Tu of India, New Delhi, Tuesday, December 12, 2006
• Profile at BBC News
• Profile at Govt. of India website