Unnao Unnao
City of Lakes[1]
—  city  —
Kanpur Institute of Management Studies on NH 25 in southern city
Unnao Location of Unnao in Uttar Pradesh and India
Coordinates	26°33′N 80°29′E / 26.55°N 80.48°E / 26.55; 80.48Coordinates: 26°33′N 80°29′E / 26.55°N 80.48°E / 26.55; 80.48
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
District(s)	Unnao
Mayor	Annu Tandon
Population • Density	178,681 (2011[update]) • 682 /km2 (1,766 /sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	120 km2 (46 sq mi) • 98 metres (322 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 209801 • Telephone • +91-515 • Vehicle • UP-32

The town of Unnao (Hindi: उन्नाव, Urdu: اناو') is the headquarters of Unnao District in Uttar Pradesh, India between Kanpur and Lucknow. It is approximately 18 km from Kanpur & 60 km from Lucknow . It is connected to these two cities by roadway as well as by railway. The nearest airport is at Amausi about 50 km from Unnao. Unnao district is a part of Central Ganges Plain of the state covering an area of 4558 km².

History[link]

The town of Unnao gives its name to the district of which it forms a part. About 1200 years ago, the site of this town was covered with extensive forests. Godo Singh, a Chauhan Rajput, cleared the forests, probably in the third quarter of the 12th century, and founded a town called Sawai Godo, which shortly afterwards passed into the hands of the rulers of the Kannauj, who appointed Khande Singh as the Governor of the place. Unwant Singh, a Bisen Rajput and a lieutenant of the Governor, killed him and built a fort here, renaming the place as Unnao after himself.

In ancient times, the area which comprises Unnao formed part of the Kosala Mahajanapada. It was later included in Oudh. This region has been inhabited since antiquity as traces from ancient times remain at some places in the district.

After the First War of Indian Independence in 1857, power was transferred from the British East India Company to the British Crown, by the Queen's Proclamation of 1858. Once the order was restored, the civil administration was re-established in the district which was named Unnao, with headquarters at Unnao. It assumed its present size in 1869. The same year the town of Unnao was constituted a Municipality.

There are various historical articles available on Unnao. The latest one is still in progress by Shaheer A. Mirza, who is tracking the history of early Mughal settlements in a village called Jalalabad (settled by one Mirza Jalal Beg during the reign of Humayun) around Qasba Asiwan of Hasanganj Tehseel.

Surrounding Towns[link]

	Awas Vikas Colony	Unnao Industrial Estate	Shiv Nagar
	Campbell Lines		Lake Town
		Unnao City Downtown    East
	Canal Street	A B Nagar	Priyadarshani Nagar Township

Geography[link]

Unnao lies in the great plains of the Ganges and hence the land is highly fertile. The soil is mostly alluvial. The Ganges separates Unnao from Kanpur district. The district is bounded by river Ganges in the west and the river Sai in the east. The entire district falling in Sai Sub-basin of the Ganges basin represents flat topography. The irrigation in the district takes place through Sharda Canal network system and tubewells. About 92% of the district area is under cultivation.^[2] The district has a subtropical climate. The district is mainly drained by the river Ganges and its tributaries Kalyani, Khar, Loni and Marahai in the western part of the district, and by Sai river in the eastern part of the district. All these rivers are perennial in nature. About 87% area of the net sown area (3,00,000 hectares) is irrigated both by surface water (Sharda Canal network system) and ground water through shallow and moderately deep tubewells. The share of surface water irrigation is 48% while that of ground water is 52%. The economy of the district mainly depends on agriculture.^[2]

Metro Area[link]

Unnao City M

The metropolitan area of Unnao consists of area and population of Unnao City, Karowan, Shuklaganj Town, Magarwara Town, Unnao Industrial Area and Magarwara Industrial Area. Population as of 2011 census is 270,517. The area of Unnao Metropolitan Area is 70 km sq.. There are four Railway Stations in Unnao Metropolitan Area name-Shuklaganj, Magarwara, Unnao Junction and Unnao Rural near Unnao Industrial Area. The main localities of different city and town are- Kanchan Nagar (Shuklaganj), Industrial Area(Magarwara), Civil Lines (Unnao), Unnao Industrial Area (Village).fatehpur chaurasi town govind kumar

Demographics[link]

As of the 2001 India census,^[4] Unnao had a population of 144,917. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Unnao has an average literacy rate of 68%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 72%, and female literacy is 63%. In Unnao, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Healthcare and industry[link]

Unnao City Government Hospital

Unnao Railway Station

Unnao is a popular destination for patients in nearby villages. The Uma Shankar Dixit hospital is a government-run hospital located in A.B. Ngar near Ram Lila Maidaan. Another government hospital, which serves women, is located near the Unnao railway station.

Industries[link]

Tanning is the biggest industry in Unnao. Unnao is well known for its leather industry and its leather goods. Superhouse Group, Mirza Tanners, Rahman Exports, and Zamzam Tanners, Mahavir Spinfab Pvt. Ltd., Parash Nathtech Garments Pvt. Ltd. have large factories in Unnao.

Unnao is famous for its samosas prepared exclusively in Mr. Rajkumar's Shop situated in premises of unnao railway station and kaalajaams of Chakalwansi, which are very popular Indian food items. The main local market is Sadar Bazar. In Sadar Bazar, there are numerous,electronic shops like MAHA MAYA ELECTRONICS bank of india building chota chauraha, cloth shops: Arman Fashion Clothes Shop Dhawan Road,salma fancy cloth store,roop ratan sarees,praveen saree center,meena saree center,hina garments,roop faishion are famous shops that have been there for decades. Fitness Centre: Arman Zym (Trainer:Pappu Bhai,Shammu,Narshimha,Vijay,Ashish) Unnao is famous of printing & dying for lihaf(rajai)& mosqiuto net producer firm subhan bux usman bux and company,aman traders.

Education[link]

File:Karowan.jpg

VIP Road

Unnao has a number of educational and technical institutions :

• INSET Institute of Engineering & Technology, Civil lines Unnao.
• Softech Computer Education (Accredited By DOEACC Society)
• Saraswati Institute Of Technology & Management,NH 25 Near Bhalla Form, Soharamau,Unnao.

For B.Tech & MBA.(Approved By GBTU & AICTE).

• Maa Gayatri Vidhya Mandir, Karowan, Unnao(B.K. Singh, Samajwadi Worker, Unnao)
• Th. R.N. Singh Public School, Nanda Khera, Sarosi, Unnao
• Dayanand Subhash National Degree College
• Chandra Shekhar Azad Inter College
• DVDT Degree College
• Indira Gandhi Rajkiya Mahavidyalaya Bangarmau Unnao
• Subhash Inter College, Bangarmau Unnao
• Sri Durgeswar Vidya Mandir Bangarmau Unnao
• Ben-Hur Inter College
• St.Jude's College
• St.Lawrence College
• Kingson Inter College
• Kendriya Vidyalaya Unnao
• Divine Mission School
• J.D.V.M. Inter College
• Sri. J.N.Shah Inter College
• S.V.M. Inter College
• Manohara Smriti Mahila Mahavidyalaya
• Adarsh Vidya Mandir
• Adarsh Shishu Mandir
• Bhartiya Vidyalaya
• Guru Nanak Inter College
• Dayanand Subhash National College
• Government Inter College
• Amar Saheed Rao Ram Bax Singh Mahavidyalay Gaura Bihar Unnao
• Mahapran Nirala Mahavidyalaya Osiya Beeghapur Unnao
• Primary Vidyalay Kundanpur Unnao
• Dayanand Vishwambhar Dayal Tripathi Krishi Vidyalaya
• Raja & Rani Shankar Sahai Inter College
• Atal Behari Inter College
• Dr G Nath G Dayal Girls Inter College
• Sun-De-Sun Inter College
• Matchless Vidya Mandir

.government inter college Atal-Bihari-Inter-College

• Future Net Computers Institute & Academy (An ISO 9001:2008)
• A to Z Knowledge Solutions (Gandhi Nagar Chauraha)
• Rajeev Gandhi Computer Saksharta Mission
• Patriot Inter College
• St.Peter's School
• Shri hublal inter college,terha

Unnao also has several English language schools, including Sri. J.N.Shah Inter College, Ben-Hur Inter College, Kendriya Vidyalaya Unnao, Sir Syed Public School (Unnao), St. Jude's Inter College, St. Lawrence English Medium Inter College, Kingson Inter College, and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. Krishna Bal Vidya Mandir.

Malls, shopping complexes and markets[link]

Kanpur Road in City Center

• Sadar Bazar includes Kalpana Garments and Mupass Shopp
• Great Mall(upcomig)
• Salasar Mart(upcoming)
• Spencer Plaza
• Big Bazaar(upcoming)
• Indian Shopping Mall
• New Town Shopping Complex
• Bada Chauraha
• Kesar ganj,
• Dhawan Road (famous for Cloth Bazar)

Notable people[link]

Poets[link]

• Chandra Shekhar Azad
• Nand Dulare Bajpai
• Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala'
• Maulana Hasrat Mohani
• Mahaveer Prashad Dwivedi

Transport[link]

Unnao Bypass Gate near Nirala Nagar

Rail

Unnao is very well connected by rail. Unnao R.S is situated on Lucknow-Kanpur line. Trains for Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata can be found here.

Road

The major national highway NH 25 passess through Unnao which has bypass from Unnao.The State Highway 58 which also connects Kanpur with Unnao is in good condition.

Air

The nearest airport is at Kanpur Chakeri which is 25 km faraway from centre.

Inner City Transport

The city has transport likes auto rickshawa, rickshaws and Sub Metropolitan city buses which are privately run.

Sister cities[link]

Unnao has a sister city relationship with Uyo, Nigeria, Harrodsburg, Kentucky and Gainesville, Georgia.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Unnao NIC website
• eUnnao.com
• The Local City Guide Of Unnao www.onlineunnao.in

Rahul Gandhi
Member of Lok Sabha from Amethi
Incumbent
Assumed office 2004
General Secretary of the Indian National Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office 2007
Chairperson of IYC and NSUI
Incumbent
Assumed office 2007
Personal details
Born	(1970-06-19) 19 June 1970 (age 42) New Delhi, India
Nationality	Indian
Political party	Indian National Congress
Relations	Rajiv Gandhi (father) Sonia Gandhi (mother) Priyanka Vadra (sister)
Residence	New Delhi, India
Alma mater	Rollins College Trinity College, Cambridge
Profession	Member of Parliament
As of 5 June, 2011

Rahul Gandhi ([ˈraːɦʊl ˈɡaːnd̪ʱiː]; born 19 June 1970) is an Indian politician and member of the Parliament of India, representing the Amethi constituency.^[1] Gandhi is the general-secretary of the Indian National Congress.^[2] He is the grandson of Feroze Gandhi and Indira (née Nehru) Gandhi, and fourth-generation scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Early life and career[link]

Rahul Gandhi was born in Delhi on 19 June 1970 ^[3] as the first of the two children of Rajiv Gandhi, who later became the Prime Minister of India and Sonia Gandhi, who later became President of Indian National Congress, and as the grandson of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He is also the great-grandson of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Priyanka Vadra is his younger sister.^[4]

Rahul Gandhi attended St. Columba's School, Delhi^[5] before entering The Doon School in Dehradun (Uttarakhand), also his father's alma mater,^[6] from 1981–83. Meanwhile, his father had joined politics and became the Prime Minister on October 31, 1984 when Indira Gandhi was assassinated. Due to the security threats faced by Indira Gandhi's family from Sikh extremists, Rahul Gandhi and his sister, Priyanka were home-schooled since then.^[7] Rahul Gandhi joined St. Stephen's College, Delhi in 1989 for his undergraduate education but moved to Harvard University after he completed the first year examinations.^[8] In 1991, after Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by LTTE^[9] during an election rally, he shifted to Rollins College due to security concerns and completed his B.A. in 1994.^[10] During this period, he assumed the pseudonym Raul Vinci and his identity was known only to the university officials and security agencies.^[8][11] He further went on to obtain a M.Phil from Trinity College, Cambridge University in 1995.^[12] After graduation, Rahul Gandhi worked at the Monitor Group, a management consulting firm, in London.^[13] In 2002 he was one of the directors of Mumbai-based technology outsourcing firm Backops Services Private Ltd.^[14]

Political career[link]

In March 2004, he announced his entry into politics by announcing that he would contest the May 2004 elections, standing for his father's former constituency of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament.^[15] The seat had been held by his mother until she transferred to the neighbouring seat of Rae Bareilly. The Congress had been doing poorly in Uttar Pradesh, holding only 10 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state at the time.^[16] At the time, this move generated surprise among political commentators, who had regarded his sister Priyanka as being the more charismatic and likely to succeed. It generated speculation that the presence of a young member of India's most famous political family would reinvigorate the Congress party's political fortunes among India's youthful population^[17] In his first interview with foreign media, he portrayed himself as a uniter of the country and condemned "divisive" politics in India, saying that he would try to reduce caste and religious tensions.^[15]

He won with a landslide majority, retaining the family stronghold with a margin of over 100,000 as the Congress unexpectedly defeated the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.^[18] Until 2006 he held no other office.^[19]

Gandhi and his sister, who is married to Robert Vadra, managed their mother's campaign for re-election to Rae Bareilly in 2006, which was won easily with a margin greater than 400,000 votes.^[20]

He was a prominent figure in the Congress campaign for the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections; Congress, however, won only 22 seats with 8.53% of votes.^[21]

Rahul Gandhi was appointed a general secretary of the All India Congress Committee on 24 September 2007 in a reshuffle of the party secretariat.^[22] In the same reshuffle, he was also given charge of the Indian Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India.^[23]

In 2008, senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily mentioned “Rahul-as-PM” idea when the PM of India Manmohan Singh was still abroad.^[24]

Youth politics[link]

In his attempt to prove himself as a youth leader in November 2008 he held interviews at his 12, Tughlak Lane residence in New Delhi to handpick at least 40 people who will make up the think-tank of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), an organisation that he has been keen to transform since he was appointed general secretary in September 2007.^[25]

Under Rahul Gandhi, IYC and NSUI has seen a dramatic increase in members from a two lakhs to twenty five lakhs.^[26]

In various reports it has been proved that Rahul Gandhi has failed in his promise to eliminate family, patronage, money from Youth Congress. It has been seen that an aspiring delegates need to pay a substantial sum as nomination fee. Hence, an aspiring office-bearer with deep pockets sponsors them thereby allowing money power to have a role in the elections.^[27][28][29]

2009 elections[link]

In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he retained his Amethi constituency by defeating his nearest rival by a margin of over 333,000 votes. In these elections congress is said to have revived itself in Uttar Pradesh by winning 21 out of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats and the majority of the credit for this turnaround is given to Rahul Gandhi.^[30] He spoke at 125 rallies across the country in six weeks.

Lokpal bill[link]

Rahul Gandhi opines that the Lokpal should be made a constitutional body and it should be made accountable to the Parliament, just like the Election Commission. He also feels that Lokpal alone cannot root out corruption. This statement came out on 25 August 2011, on the 10th day of Anna Hazare's fast. This statement was considered as a delaying tactic by the opposition and Team Anna's members. It was consequently slammed by prominent opposition leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.^[31] The Parliamentary Standing Committee led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi tabled the Lok Bill report in the Rajya Sabha on 9 December 2011. Almost all points proposed by Team Anna were ignored while Rahul Gandhi's wish for Lokpal to be made into a constitutional body was implemented. Anna Hazare believes that Rahul Gandhi is responsible for the weak and ineffective bill proposed by the standing committee of parliament.^[32]

Land Acquisition Protests Arrest[link]

On 11 May 2011 Rahul Gandhi was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police at Bhatta Parsaul village after he turned out in support of agitating farmers demanding more compensation for their land being acquired for a highway project.^[33] He was released after being held for about three hours and later returned to New Delhi. He was to be presented before a Sub-Divisional Magistrate on 12 May 2011.^[34]

2012 Assembly elections[link]

Rahul Gandhi campaigned extensively in the 2012 Assembly elections, especially in the highly politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) in the hope that his popularity would help bring Congress back to power. However, the party did very poorly in the elections winning only 38 seats, a meagre increase of six seats from the 2007 elections^[35]. The Samajwadi Party and its new leader, Akhilesh Yadav swept the elections in UP, and Mr Yadav was sworn as the youngest Chief Minister of UP. The Congress party suffered humiliating defeats in other states (Goa and Punjab), and a close shave in Uttarahakhand. With only one win in the state of Manipur, the Indian press was quick to question the future of Mr Gandhi as the leader of the Congress party.^[36]

Political and legal issues[link]

Comparison of RSS and SIMI[link]

Rahul Gandhi has been critical of nationalist groups like the RSS and compared them to terrorist organizations like SIMI.^[37][38] According to a cable leaked by Wikileaks, in 2009, he allegedly shared concerns with the American ambassador to India Timothy Roemer that radicalized Hindu groups may pose a bigger threat to India than Islamic terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba.^[39][40] His comments on radical Hindu groups were criticized by the opposition party, as well as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.^[41]

Sukanya Devi[link]

It has been alleged that Rahul Gandhi had detained a girl and her parents since 2007 after the family accused the Gandhi scion of raping the girl. On 01st Mar 2011, the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi,^[42] however the allegations were found to be false. Allahabad high court not only dismissed the case after the girl in question appeared in the court, but slapped a 50 lakh penalty against the petitioner ordering a CBI inquiry against her and websites publishing the story.^[43]

13th Jul 2011 Terror Attack remarks[link]

On 14th Jul 2011, a day after the serial bombing in Mumbai, Rahul Gandhi gave a statement that "it was very difficult to stop every single terror attack". The remark resulted in a number of strong criticism from a number of Shiv Sena party members.^[44]

See also[link]

• Political Families of The World

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rahul Gandhi

• Profile at BBC News
• Profile at Govt. of India website
• Rahul Gandhi collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Rahul Gandhi collected news and commentary at The Times of India

Kumar Vishwas
Occupation	Professor, Poet, Associate Professor
Nationality	Indian
Citizenship	Indian
Education	M.A., PhD., DLit
Genres	Romantic Poetry
Notable award(s)	Hindi-Punjabi Award Committee, Uttar Pradesh “Sahitya Shree-2006” Geet Shree 2010
www.kumarvishwas.com

Kumar Vishwas' (डॉ. कुमार विश्वास ) (also spelt as Vishvas or Vishwas) (born 10 February 1970) is a renowned Hindi Poet and a professor of Hindi Literature from Pilkhuwa[1], Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

Early life and education[link]

Kumar Vishwas was born on 10 February 1970, in Pilkhuwa, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh in a Gaur Brahmin family. He is the youngest among four brothers and a sister. He started his schooling from Lala Ganga Sahay School, Pilkhuwa where he spent a part of his childhood. His father Dr. Chandra Pal Sharma was Lecturer in R.S.S. Degree College, Pilkhuwa affiliated to Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut and his mother Smt. Rama Sharma is a home maker. After completing his intermediate from Rajputana Regiment Inter College, Pilkhuwa, his father wanted him to be an Engineer, but he had a passion for Poetry right from the childhood. He took no interest in engineering and decided to make career in the field of Poetry. He did Post Graduation in Hindi Literature.

Career[link]

Vishvas started his career as a professor in the year 1994 from Rajasthan. He has been teaching Hindi Literature to higher class students of Lala Lajpat Rai College for the last sixteen years.^[1]

Works and achievements[link]

Vishvas is a Poet of Hindi language. He is a poet of Shringara-Ras (Romantic Genre).^[2] He has participated in several Kavi sammelan and is a very renowned poet.

His fan communities on social networking websites like Orkut,^[3] and Facebook^[4] have largest number of fans as compared to other Hindi poets.^{[citation needed]} Also, his videos on YouTube have in excess of 40 million views.^[5] His website^[6] is a frequently visited website among youths.^{[citation needed]}

Dr Kumar Vishvas has written the 'Kul-Geet' or the University Anthem of Chaudhary Charan Singh University.^[7]

Besides being a known face among Hindi-knowing people across the world as a Poet, Dr Kumar Vishvas has been involving himself in several Social works. He is an active and renowned member of the Civil Society. He has been an integral part of Veteran Social Leader Anna Hazare's 'India against corruption' mission along with Mr Arvind Kejriwal and Mr Manish Sisodia for which he was arrested on 16 August 2011.^[8]

Performances[link]

Vishvas has been performing regularly in Kavi sammelan all over India and abroad. The list includes Thapar University, BIT SINDRI, Sindri , INDIAN SCHOOL OF MINES, Dhanbad, Jamia Hamdard University, IIIT Hyderabad, RKGIT Ghaziabad, NIFT Gandhinagar, IIT Guwahati, NIT ROURKELA, IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee,^[9] IIT Kharagpur,^[10] IIT Bubaneshwar,^[11] Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi,^[12] DA-IICT Gandhinagar, B.J. Medical College Ahmadabad , Sri Ram Murti Smarak College of Engineering and Technology Bareilly, Teerthanker Mahaveer Medical College Moradabad, MNIT Jaipur, Management Development Institute Gurgaon, Fore School of Management New Delhi, NIT Surat, B.S.Anangpuria Institute of Technology and Management Faridabad,^[13] KIIT University Bhubaneswar,^[14] NSIT Delhi, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra IIITM Gwalior, CDGI INDORE,^[15] Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi,^[16] MNNIT Allahabad,^[17] NIT Patna,^[18][19] IIM Lucknow,^[20] NIT Jalandhar,^[21] NIT Trichy,^[22] NIT Durgapur, BITS, Pilani,^[23] LNCT Bhopal,^[24] MERI Kolkata, [(Maharaja Sayaji Rao University ,Baroda|http://www.msubaroda.ac.in/)] B.I.T. Sindri,^[25] IET Lucknow, SSGPURC hoshiarpur, JIIT, Noida^[26], KNIT Sultanpur and MITS, Gwalior^[27], Institute of Technology- BHU and Babasaheb Naik College Of Engineering Pusad.(Maharashtra)and several other institutions across India.

He has also been a part of corporate celebration across India.^{[citation needed]}

Besides performing in almost all parts of India, Dr Kumar Vishvas has also performed in countries like USA,^[28] Dubai,^[29] Singapore^[30], Japan ^[31] Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Nepal etc.

Awards[link]

• Kavya – Kumar in 1994 by Dr. Kunwar Baichain Kavya samman avam puruskaar samiti^[32]
• Dr. Suman Alankarna in 2004 by Sahitya Bharti, Unnao.^[32]
• Sahitya Shree - 2006 by Hindi-Punjabi Award Academy.^[33]
• Dr Urmilesh "Geet Shree" Samman, 2010 by Dr Urmilesh Jan Chetna Samiti, Badaun.^[34]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website

Akhilesh Yadav (born 1 July 1973) is an Indian politician and the youngest chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.^[2] First time he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kannauj in a by-election of 2000. He retained his seat in the 2004 and 2009 general elections. Thus he has won the Lok Sabha elections three times since 2000.^[3] He spearheaded the campaign to bring the Samajwadi Party back to power in the U.P. Assembly election 2012.

Early life and education[link]

Akhilesh Yadav was born to Mulayam Singh Yadav and his first wife Malti Devi on 1 July 1973 in the Saifai village of Etawah district.^[4] He took his primary education from St. Mary's School, Etawah^[4]. Thereafter he studied in Dholpur Military School, Dholpur at (Rajasthan. He got Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore and later opted for a Masters in environmental engineering from the University of Sydney.^[5]

Akhilesh gives credit to Janeshwar Mishra who intiated him to join politics.^[6]

2012 UP assembly elections[link]

He introduced modern elements in Samajwadi party's campaigning style.^{[citation needed]} In the 2012 general election he was able to provide the party with a new image.^{[citation needed]} He extensively campaigned across the state holding cycle rallies and public meetings at various locations.^{[citation needed]} His Rath Yatra conducted across the state was highly successful in bringing young voters and people from across all the communities into the Samajwadi party's fold.^{[citation needed]} His personality was a key role in helping the Party towards a victory in U. P. Assembly Elections of 2012,^{[citation needed]} with Samajwadi party winning 224 seats out of total 403.^{[citation needed]} Thus Samajvadi Party being the single largest party formed the government.^{[citation needed]}

He was given credit for the party's rise from a meager 97 seats in the 2007 Vidhan Sabha to a total of 224 and was subsequently elected the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh by the existing MLAs of his party. He became the youngest Chief Minister of this province at the age of 38 years.^[2]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website of Samajwadi Party
• Akhilesh Yadav Website

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Swami Ramdev
Baba Ramdev
Born	January 1965 (age 47) Ali Saiyad Pur (Alipur), Mahendragarh, Haryana, India
Birth name	Ram Krishna
Guru	Acharya Pradumn
Philosophy	Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam[1]

Swami Ramdev (born as Ramkrishna on 11 Jan 1965 in Haryana)^[2] alias Baba Ramdev is a spiritual leader known for his ventures in yoga, ayurved and agriculture. Baba Ramdev is best known for popularizing yoga among health conscious Indians through his mass yoga camps & TV shows. Since last year he has become more controversial for his continued advocacy on Indian political issues.^[3]

Early life[link]

Ramdev was born as Ramkrishna Yadav to Gulab Devi and Ram Nivas in the Alipur village of Mahendragarh district in Haryana state of India.He had a formal education till 8th standard in school. He then studied Indian scriptures, yoga and Sanskrit in various gurukuls. Eventually, he became sanyasi, renouncing worldly life & took present name as Baba Ramdev.^[4] While living in Kalva Gurukul of Jind district in Haryana, he offered free yoga training to villagers for some time. Then he moved to Haridwar, Uttarakhand and spent several years studying ancient Indian scriptures at Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya. This included a rare book of Aurobindo Ghosh, Yogik Sadhan,^[5] translated from Bengali into Hindi by Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil. After reading this small booklet योगिक साधन he went to the caves of Himalaya and practised intense self-discipline and meditation.

Beginning of Public Life[link]

He entered prominence when he started the Divya Yog Mandir Trust with the company of Acharya Balkrishna at Kankhal Haridwar. In 2003, Aastha TV began featuring him in its morning yoga slot. Within a few years, he had gathered a huge following.^[6] The New York Times called him "an Indian, who built Yoga Empire, a product and symbol of the New India, a yogic fusion of Richard Simmons, Dr. Oz and Oprah Winfrey, irrepressible and bursting with Vedic wisdom."^[7]

A large number of people and many celebrities in India and abroad have attended his yoga camps.^[8] He has taught yoga to many actors including Amitabh Bachchan and Shilpa Shetty.^[9] He has also taught yoga in the British Parliament,^[10] at the MD Anderson Cancer Center affiliated to the University of Texas^[11][12] and at the seminary of Muslim clerics at Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, becoming the first ever non-Muslim to publicly address the deobandi Muslim clerics.^[13]

Apart from making Yoga a household word in India, he has also taught Yoga in Britain, USA and Japan among other countries. Soon after getting popular outside India, he was invited by Kofi Annan in 2006 to deliver a lecture on poverty alleviation in a United Nations conference.^[14][15]

Patanjali Yogpeeth and Research on Yoga[link]

A view of Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar (Uttara Khand) India

The flagship project of Baba Ramdev is Patanjali Yogpeeth. Since its inauguration in 2006, it has been one of the largest centers for research on Yog and Ayurved in India. The vision of the research institution as mentioned on the Patanjali Yogpeeth website is "To evaluate the physiological and clinical effects of Yog and Pranayam as taught by Swami Ramdevji and the Ayurvedic medicines formulated by Acharya Balakrishanji".^[16] Apart from running free yoga classes and providing free ayurvedic consultancy in the premises of the yogpeeth, the Patanjali Yogpeeth website claims to run 20,000 free yoga classes and 2000 chikitsalayas all over the country.^[17] The facilities at the Yogpeeth comprise a 300-bed multi specialty hospital, a yoga research center,^[18] a university,^[19] an ayurvedic pharmacy^[20] and a food park.^[21]

Patanjali YogPeeth has acquired a Scottish Island for about £2 million which was donated by Mr.Sam and Mrs. Sunita Poddar, originally from India and living in Scotland for 25 years, have been running the UK branch of the Patanjali Yoga Peeth Trust.^[22] The Little Cumbrae Island, off the fishing town of Largs in Scotland, will also serve as the Patanjali Yog Peeth's base overseas, where yoga will be taught. This project will be run by Patanjali Yogpeeth (UK) Trust.^[23] They have plans to set up a wellness retreat there.

Political and social campaigns[link]

Ramdev has clarified that he has no political ambitions and is not interested in starting a political party, but feels it's his obligatory duty to reform social and political ambiguities apart from popularising yoga and thus strengthen the country.^[24][25]

He has raised a number of political, social and economic issues through his yoga camps (in Hindi Yog Shivir). Most of the issues raised by him demand a drastic change in the governance policies of India.

On agriculture and dietary practices[link]

In many yog shivira (yoga camps), he has raised the issue of increased consumption of fast foods, packed foods and soft drinks by the people. According to him these products can cause diseases and so they must not be eaten. He has also claimed that commercially available aerated drinks are harmful to due to the presence of phosphoric acids, preservatives, unknown chemicals and emulsifiers. He claims that these drinks are very harmful to the entire body and especially the stomach lining if consumed. He has also made statements along the lines of "Coca Cola means Toilet Cleaner" and has claimed that these cold drinks are as effective at cleaning toilets as the commercially available toilet cleaners.^[26] He urges people in his public meetings to pledge not to consume commercial aerated drinks, to protect individual health as well as to avoid Indian wealth being transferred to multinational companies. Instead he advices the public to consume hot water, milk or traditional Indian juices which keep them in good health.

He has also claimed that the use of fertilizers and pesticides has led to an undue economic load on farmers and increased the profits of large business houses involved in the business. He also claims that these practices are harmful to the general public, since the farming produce is contaminated with inorganic fertilizers and pesticides.^[27] Due to this practice, the farming land is also becoming barren. He also blames corrupt practices for the miserable conditions of the poor farmers and other backward class of the society. He says that although agriculture is the biggest area which can contribute enough to India's economy yet it's farmers are the most poverty stricken class of the country. He says if villages improve then there will be a completely different India^[28]

Protests against black money[link]

Baba Ramdev raised the issue of black money publicly in Ramlila Maidan on 27 Feb 2011^[29] Estimations indicate a total of Rs. 400 lakh crore, or nearly 9 trillion USD, of Indian black money outside the country. It is claimed but not proven that this is so much money that every Indian constituency could get up to 50 thousand crore for development. The money has been pulled outside the country via physical and technical means, with hawala, under/over invoicing being some common methods. Money laundering started on a large scale since 1990.

In April 2011 Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, confirmed that there are Indian names on Swiss bank accounts.^[30] Switzerland is not the only tax havens where Indian black money is stashed. Other tax havens include Dubai, Liechtenstein, USA, UK, and others.^[29] Switzerland has officially rejected any "fishing expeditions" by the Indian government but are willing to be more cooperative in investigations where specific evidence is provided. An approach had been made by Indian government but was refused on the basis that it was a fishing expedition without any evidence. Baba Ramdev has said that most of the money belongs to the ministers, government officials and bureaucrats.^[29]

Apart from this, there is an estimated Rs. 100–150 lakh crore of black money in India's internal economy. India's total GDP is in the range of 60 lakh crore and at least twice of this amount is circulating in black, which is roughly between 100 and 150 lakh crore.^[29] Ramdev has suggested many measures to curb the amount of black money circulating inside the internal economy. Baba Ramdev pointed out that total currency note circulation in India is 10 lakh crore. If the GDP is 60 lakh crore, then currency note circulation should be 1/50 of that amount, which is only 2 lakh crore. A common thumb-rule of macroeconomics is that a currency note can travel 50 to 100 transaction points over a year. Hence if RBI has circulated 10 lakh crore of currency then the total Indian economy should be at least 50 × 10 lakh crore = 500 lakh crore. This clearly indicates that there is huge amount of black money circulating inside the internal economy and an equally high amount of unaccounted wealth is being siphoned out of the country every year by corrupt ministers and bureaucrats.

Swami Ramdev has been associated with the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement and was involved in the Jan Lokpal agitation^[31]

In February 2011, he gave the following steps for eradication of black money:^[32]

1. Declare all Indian wealth lying outside the country as national wealth.
2. Agree to and accept the U.N. Convention against Corruption – pending since 2006.
3. Access, monitor and disrupt payment gateway servers enabling corrupt people to manage money in tax havens.
4. Scrutinizing accounts of people having credit/debit cards of foreign banks without any foreign work/relation.
5. Disabling operations of any bank from a tax haven country.
6. Withdrawal and demonetizing of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes – so as to avoid misuse of unaccounted money and quick arrest of the entire locally circulated black money, bribing, and fake note traffic.
7. Death penalty provision for the corrupt persons in Indian Penal Code.

Many countries like USA, Germany and other smaller African countries have attempted to adopt certain steps to recover their black money yet at the same time they have retained their own havens, for example, the USA has Delaware, the UK has the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, France has Monaco. However in India the government calls Ramdev's idea as impractical as many of Indias largest corporations trade in Switzerland and much needed investment into India from overseas funds is routed through Mauritius. The practicality of such steps has been called into question.^[24]

He has raised the issue of Indian money stashed away illegally in Swiss banks, which is estimated to be anywhere between 1 and 1.5 trillion USD. He says that the government must take immediate action and bring back the money as it belongs to the people of India. Not only this, he openly charges that this black money has been taken out of the country illegally and also very strongly demands a capital punishment to all those Indians or non-resident Indians, who acquire, handle and stash black money.

He suggests that Mauritius route is a tax haven for black money operators in India and this route should be cut effectively by the Indian government but ignores the fact that all UK and US funds use Mauritius to invest in the Indian stock-market and in India. He had also demanded (as early as September 2009) the removal of currency of denominations of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000, saying that this would curb corruption, black money and terrorism.^[33][34]

Anti-corruption rally on 27 February 2011 at Ramlila Maidan[link]

On 27 February 2011 Baba Ramdev held a large rally of over 1 lakh people at the Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi to protest against corruption. Those present at the rally included Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna, Ram Jethmalani, Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Swami Agnivesh and many others.^[35] All members spoke and explained how corruption was rampant in the country and how the government itself was indulging in it. The most highlighted topic was Indian black money lying in tax havens of Switzerland. A striking feature of this rally was that all the major media houses boycotted it.

Bhrashtachar Mitao Satyagrah 4 June 2011 at Ramlila Maidan[link]

Preface[link]

Baba Ramdev launched the Bhrashtachar Mitao Satyagrah which was held at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi on 4 June 2011. Key demands were:^[36]

1. Declare all illegal wealth/black money lying in foreign countries, which belong to Indians as National Property.
2. Declaring money laundering as a National Crime and should be punishable.
3. Investigate and shut down the Mauritius route of foreign investment.
4. Sign and ratify the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, pending since 2006
5. Recall Rs. 1000 and Rs. 500 notes to curb corruption, bribery and illegal flow of money in the internal economy of the country.
6. Enact a strong Lokpal bill.
7. Establish infrastructure to deliver medical and engineering education in Indian Languages.
8. Enact Public Service Delivery Guarantee Act to enable all citizens to avail government/public services easily and quickly
9. Enact the Kisan Vetan Ayog to establish standards for payment of wages to farmers and classify farming as skilled labour.

Protest at Delhi[link]

Baba Ramdev declared to go on an Anshan (indefinite fast) on June 4, 2011 at Ramlila Ground Delhi^[37] to pressure the Central Government to root out corruption from India and bring back the black money stashed away in various financial institutions abroad. After this declaration the government was said to have set up a panel to suggest steps to curb black money and its transfer abroad, in an apparent bid to placate Ramdev.^[38]

When Ramdev arrived at Delhi airport on June 1, four senior ministers of the UPA government met him on the airport and tried to persuade him by telling of the government's initiative on corruption.^[39] On 4 June morning 65,000 followers of the yoga teacher had gathered at Ramlila Ground^[40] By noon queues extending up to 3 km from the entry point of Ramlila Grounds and were seen chanting 'Vande Mataram'. In the evening a press conference was organised by Kapil Sibbal made public a letter from Ramdev's camp to call off their agitation. Ramdev took it as a betrayal of the Government and hardened the position by declaring not to take back his Satyagrah until a proper government ordinance is announced in place of forming a committee.

Satyagrah was going on even in the night of 4 June 2011. Sources informed Baba Ramdev that a huge police force can try to clear Ramlila Ground and if it is not done they can also kill him in a fake encounter or set fire in the tents.^[41] At midnight, a huge team of 10,000 officers of the Delhi Police and RAF raided the ground when most of the Satyagrahis were sleeping on the and Ramdev was also sleeping on the dias along with his core group.^[42] A large police force lobbed tear gas shells and lathicharged to evict the crowd from 1a.m. to 4 a.m. The tent was set on fire at many places. Cold water was thrown over power generators to create complete darkness to prevent any video recording of the whole attack. However most media persons recorded what was going on.

Police had arranged buses to drop supporters at railway stations and bus stands in advance; had ammunition ready and all the policemen were in battle-gear wearing vests and helmets and kept some ambulances on standby. Ramdev was arrested while attempting to disguise himself in women's clothing.^[43]

Delhi Police forcefully detained Ramdev at Safdargunj Airport in complete isolation for a few hours and then deported him to his Ashram in Haridwar via helicopter.^[44] Police fired tear gas, lathcharged people who were reportedly peacefully fasting. 53 persons were injured and treated at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital, AIIMS trauma center, and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.^[45][46][47] Government stopped media person or anybody to enter the hospital to check the injured. Protesters huddled near the Metro station, bus depots and railway stations. Many walked down to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and other nearby Ashrams.^[48] According to New Delhi railway station authorities, supporters continued to leave in batches through the course of the day. While several supporters spent the day in a park near Ramlila Maidan, others took shelter in Arya Samaj at Paharganj.^[49]

Baba Ramdev was taken by police out side Delhi and was banned from entering Delhi for 15 days. After being banned from entering Delhi for the next 15 days, Union Home Secretary G. K. Plillai said the Baba was on his way to his Ashram at Haridwar under police custody.^[50] On reaching Haridwar, Swami Ramdev declared in a press conference that his fast unto death will continue.

About 5,000 supporters were still missing according to Baba Ramdev.^[51] Dr. Jaideep Arya, a key advisor of Ramdev’s team, said that about 19 girls students from the Chotipur Gurukul, who were seated near the dais, are estimated to be still missing.^[52] Suman, women’s representative of the Trust, said many of these girls were roughed up when the police tried to reach Swamiji and were crying since police officials were pulling their hair, dragging them badly and their clothes were torn. Police, however, said no one was missing.^[52] A senior police officer reported that they were forced to retaliate after Baba Ramdev's supporters started throwing stones and flower pots at them.^[53] Police also released CCTV footage to prove that no woman was beaten by them.^[54] TV channels were telecasting the footage of the scene in Ramlia Ground. Rajbala, who suffered a crippling spinal injury and was undergoing treatment at G. B. Pant Hospital died following cardiac arrest. The hospital authorities refused to give a death summary and other relevant papers, and even asked to file an RTI application. Baba Ramdev, in a statement, said “Her sacrifice is an irreparable loss to the whole organisation…..and her death will not go in vain. We will continue to fight for a corruption-free India.^[55]”

Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare and yoga guru Baba Ramdev will jointly sit on a day's token fast in Delhi on 3 June 2012 to press for a strong Lokpal Bill and to mobilise opinion against black money.^[56]

Aftermath of the Delhi protest and fast unto death[link]

Ramdev accused the government of cheating him, and alleged that there was a conspiracy to kill him and that he was threatened during a meeting with senior ministers.^[57] All political parties other than the Congress Party condemned the police action, called it undemocratic and naked fascism,^[58] deplorable and shortsighted.^[59][60] It was even compared it with the Emergency^[58] and the Jalianwala.^[58] Apart from politicians, he was also supported by civil societies as well. Activist Anna Hazare termed the crackdown of the agitation a strangulation of democracy. He said: "There was no firing otherwise the eviction was similar to Jallianwala Bagh massacre".^[61] He boycotted his lokpal panel meeting with the government on 6 June and decided to go on a one day fast on 8 June. His allies RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal, former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan, and Swami Agnivesh also criticised the police action to evict the hunger strikers forcefully^[62] Protests were held in many different parts of the country.^[63] Protest were held in Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jammu and Lucknow as well as among other several cities of India.^[64]

End of hunger strike[link]

Baba Ramdev ended his fast on the ninth day by drinking a glass of juice at Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, where he was recuperating from the seventh day of his fast. After repeated request from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and various other activisst he ended his fast.^[65] Political reactions came in from all major parties expressing their happiness about ending the fast. BJP Spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said they have a "sense of satisfaction" that the fast has ended. Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy said that the fast was "successful" and termed the government as "monstrous". While the ruling party Congress spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi gave a reaction by saying it as "good".^[66]

Allegations of corruption and tax evasion[link]

Hours after 4 June, the Congress-led UPA government started a massive campaign against Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna and Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust. Multiple allegations were raised against Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna.

Some of them being:

1. Baba Ramdev is involved in tax evasion.
2. Baba Ramdev exports products that are banned in the United States.
3. Donations received by Baba Ramdev consist of black money.
4. Acharya Balkrishna has fake passport.
5. Acharya Balkrishna is a Nepali criminal who fled from Nepal to India.
6. Acharya Balkrishna has violated the Arms Act, 1959.

The Indian National Congress lead United Progressive Alliance launched a booklet to criticise and expose Ramdev during its election campaign in Uttar Pradesh for the 2012 elections.^[67][68] Acharya Balkrishna was later cleared of fake passport charges.^[69]

It is said^{[by whom?]} that there are a maze of companies that are run and maintained by Ramdev´s key men. Over 200 businesses^{[citation needed]} from broadcasting companies to food parks are run by his allies Acharya Balkrishna and Swami Muktanand. Baba Ramdev is also facing charges of land grab as it was reported^{[by whom?]} that Patanjali Yog Peeth had grabbed government land. In 2011, a report released by India Today cited some of the firms running under the guidance of Baba Ramdev as being scanned by government authorities for the above mentioned allegations.^[70][71]

Controversies and criticisms[link]

Involvements in activities prohibited for non-profit in USA[link]

Ramdev and his non-profit firms are alleged to involve in activities prohibited for non-profit tax-exempt organisations in USA.^[72]

Links with RSS and BJP[link]

Lalu Yadav said in a press conference- "Sadhvi Ritambhara was the first one to share the stage (with Ramdev at ramlila protest). She was the one who was responsible for the Babri Masjid demolition".^[73] Digvijay Singh, Congress general secretary alleged that all the five-star arrangements at Ramlila ground protests were done by right activist group RSS and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).^[74] Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said-"Some people with vested interest are hijacking and remote controlling the protest by RSS and BJP". It is said that he is also been financed by RSS. Ramdev has responded to these allegations by saying that, every patriot and well-wisher of the nation is supporting him, if RSS is one of them, so be it.

Initially RSS leader Ram Madhav made distance on this issue.^[75] But later on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said- "The RSS was not behind the stir launched by Ramdev seeking repatriation of the black money stashed illegally in foreign banks but have extended all support to it (agitation)." He added- "RSS cannot remain a mute spectator to the social revolution taking place against corruption and black money. Therefore, it has asked its cadres to join the agitation"^[76]

Labour law violations and animal parts in medicines[link]

In March 2005, 113 employees of Divya Yoga Mandir Trust, Haridwar started an agitation for minimum wages and employees's rights such as coverage under the Provident Fund and Employees' State Insurance schemes. After a tripartite meeting, an agreement was reached between the workers, management and the district administration. However, some agitating workers were dismissed by the Trustees after being alleged to be responsible for sabotage. Their case was taken up by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist). They are still to be reinstated.^[77][78]

Brinda Karat, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was involved with the protesters and was told by disgruntled workers that animal parts were used in the manufacture of some medicines. In January 2006, she accused the Divya Pharmacy, owned by Divya Yog Mandir Trust for using human and animal bones in their medicines. Samples of the medicines Kulya Bhasm (Mixture) and Yauvanamrit Vati purchased from Brahmakalp Chikitsalaya- the Trust's Hospital at Haridwar were tested at government labs and the presence of animal materials in the sample was confirmed.^[77] However, the source of the samples was disputed, as these had been supplied by Karat to the labs and not procured by government officials. Karat produced what were claimed to be the prescription and cash receipt obtained from the medicine counter for the samples provided.^[77][78][79]

Her controversial remarks drew strong condemnation from several politicians in North India, like Sharad Pawar, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Narayan Dutt Tiwari.^[80] Subsequently she received a legal notice on the behalf of a BJP leader in Faridabad.^[81]

A few months later in 2006, four samples were sent to the government recognized Shriram Institute of Industrial Research in Delhi. Negating the report from this institute the Union Health Ministry said to have found animal DNA in the samples, although most of the newspapers carried reports to the contrary.^[82]

Views on AIDS and sex education[link]

In December 2006, Swami Ramdev claimed to improve the condition of patients suffering with AIDS through yoga and ayurvedic drugs sold by his Divya Yoga Mandir Trust. He also went on to suggest that sex education should be replaced by yoga education, as his way to AIDS awareness and prevention.^[83] "Sex education in schools need [sic] to be replaced by yoga education," Ramdev told reporters at the state health minister's residence. As a consequence of these public statements he was sent a cease and desist order by the Indian Union Health Ministry to avoid making such claims in the future, and the civil society threatened legal action.^[84] In response, Ramdev paraphrased his statement and said the claims were not directly his, but those of patients who practiced yoga.^[85]

Views on homosexuality[link]

According to Newsweek magazine, Ramdev "detests gays".^[86] In July 2009, when Delhi High Court gave a verdict under decriminalizing homosexuality in Delhi, the swami called a press conference and said, "This verdict of the court will encourage criminality and sick mentality. ... This is breaking the family system in India. Homosexuality is not natural and can be treated. If the government brings this law, I will take this matter to the streets of Delhi in protest."^[87] In 2011 he petitioned the court to overturn the ruling.^[88] He said that "(Gay sex) is against our Vedic culture."^[89] Ramdev has said that he can cure homosexuals within six months using "yoga, pranayam and other meditation techniques".^[90][91] He has offered to cure Manvendra Singh Gohil, an openly gay prince.^[92] His views have attracted criticism.^[93]

Claims of curing cancer[link]

Other press reports quoted him as claiming to have a cure for cancer of the breast, liver, prostate, uterus, pituitary gland, and brain, as well as leukemia, by practicing breathing exercises. Swami Ramdev claims to have documented curing hundreds of patients.^[94]

Awards and recognitions[link]

• January 2007 – Honorary Doctorate, by Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, in recognition of his efforts to popularize the Vedic system/science of Yoga.^[95]

• March 2010 – Honored with Degree of Doctorate of Sciences by Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh.^{[citation needed]}
• April 2010 – Honored with honorary degree of Doctor of Science by Dr D. Y. Patil Deemed University, Pune, Maharashtra.^{[citation needed]}
• January 2011 – Honored with Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati National Eminence Award by Maharashtra Governor K. Shankaranarayanan.^[96]

Bibliography[link]

1. Yoga Sādhanā evam Yoga Chikitsā Rahasya (Yog Its Philosophy & Practice ISBN 978-81-89235-15-4)
2. Prāṇāyāma Rahasya (Pranayama Its Philosophy & Practice ISBN 978-81-89235-01-7)
3. Aushadh Darshan (Aushadh Darshan ISBN 978-81-89235-24-6)
4. Jeevaniya & Vayasthapan Paudhe (Vitality Strenghtening Astavarga Plants ISBN 978-4-04-980004-3)

The books explain in detail about the basics of a system of yoga and acupressure. The third book describes, among other things, the use of several medicinal herbs in curing some diseases which modern medicine is unable to cure. Ramdev claims to have documented proof of the books' claims.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

• Yoga
• Ayurveda
• Illegal mining in India
• Black Money

References[link]

External links[link]

• BBC Audio Interview with Swami Ramdev in Hindi
• BBC Interview with Swami Ramdev
• BBC News – Yogi cleared of animal parts row – March 8, 2006