Oscar Fernandes

Dr. Oscar Fernandes (27 March 1941 – 13 September 2021) was an Indian politician, a senior Indian National Congress leader and was the Union Cabinet Minister for Transport, Road and Highways and Labour and Employment, Government of India in UPA government. He was one of the closest confidants of the former Congress President Rahul Gandhi and one of the major leaders involved in the decision making process related to Congress Party. He was closely associated with the late Mogaveera community leader Mr.Ananda Mendon and both together worked for the social upliftment of rural areas of coastal Karnataka.

Oscar Fernandes
Fernandes in 2004
Director of The Young Indian
In office
22 January 2011 – 13 September 2021
Director of The Associated Journals Private Limited
In office
17 June 2010 – 13 September 2021
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office
1 July 1998 – 13 September 2021
ConstituencyKarnataka
Minister for Road Transport and Highways
In office
17 June 2013 – 26 May 2014
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
Preceded byC. P. Joshi
Succeeded byNitin Gadkari
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
18 January 1980 – March 1998
Preceded byT. A. Pai
Succeeded byI. M. Jayarama Shetty
ConstituencyUdupi
Personal details
Born(1941-03-27)27 March 1941
Udupi, Madras Presidency, British India
(now in Karnataka, India)
Died13 September 2021(2021-09-13) (aged 80)[1]
Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Political partyIndian National Congress
Spouse
Blossom Fernandes
​
(m. 1981)​
Children2
Residence(s)Doris Rest Haven, Ambalpady, Udupi.

Political life and career

Fernandes was the Chairman of Central Election Authority of the All India Congress Committee. He was previously the AICC General Secretary, the Minister of State (Independent charge) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Dr. Manmohan Singh's first UPA government in India. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to Rajiv Gandhi.

He was elected to the 7th Lok Sabha in 1980 from Udupi constituency in Karnataka. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984, 1989, 1991 and 1996 from the same constituency. Later, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1998. He was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2004. He was a Union Minister from 2004 to 2009, holding a number of portfolios such as Statistics and Programme Implementation, NRI Affairs, Youth and Sports Affairs and Labour and Employment.[2] He served two terms as a member of the Council of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Name of Oscar Fernandes is also figured in the National Harold case.

Personal life
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, then President of India, administering the oath as Minister of State (Independent Charge) to Fernandes at a Swearing-in Ceremony in New Delhi, May 22, 2004.

Oscar was born to Roque Fernandes, the head of Government Composite PU College and the first President of Manipal Institute of Technology and Leonissa M. Fernandes, the first female magistrate in India, at the family estate at Udupi. Fernandes was one of 12 children in his family, and grew up with a strong Catholic background. As a child he was an altar boy, and as a youth he was active in Church activities. His family belongs to the Fernandes-Prabhu clan, a Mangalorean Catholic clan from Udyavara in Udupi district.[3] He married Blossom Mathias Prabhu on 26 August 1981 and had one son Oshan and one daughter Oshanie. His son Oshan is married to Frazil Quadros and Oscar's daughter Oshanie is married to Mark Saldanha.[4] In 2002 Fernandes inaugurated the Glowinstar Academy, an integrated development school, in Ambalpady, dedicated to his father, Roque.

Death

Fernandes died on 13 September 2021 at the age of 80, due to age related ailments at Yenepoya hospital in Mangalore.[5] He was undergoing treatment there since 19 July, following a clot in brain due to a fall at his home.

Citations
  1. "Congress veteran and former Union minister Oscar Fernandes passes away". Vinobha K T. The Times of India. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  2. "Congress leader and former Union Minister Oscar Fernandes passes away at 80". Business Line. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  3. Lobo 2000, p. 250
  4. Alva, H R (16 September 2021). "Oscar Fernandes: A Noble Leader". Daijiworld Media. Retrieved 19 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. Shantanu, Shashank (13 September 2021). "Oscar Fernandes, senior Congress leader, passes away in Mangaluru". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 14 September 2021.

References
  • Lobo, Michael (2000). Distinguished Mangalorean Catholics, 1800–2000: a historico-biographical survey of the Mangalorean Catholic community. Camelot Publishers. ISBN 978-81-87609-01-8..
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