Moraji Desai was born on February 29, 1898 at Bhadeli village in Bulsar
District, Gujarat.
He studied at the Ava Bal High School, Bulsar and passed his
matriculation examination. He graduated in BA Mathematics and Physics from
Wilson College, Bombay in 1917 and was Dakshina Fellow at University of Bombay (1917
– 1918).
He joined the Bombay Provincial Civil Service in 1918 and served as Deputy
Collector of Ahmedabad and Godhra districts (1918 – 1930).
He joined the Indian Independence Movement under the leadership of Mahatma
Gandhi and was Secretary of Indian National Congress,
Bombay (1930 – 1937).
He was Minister of Agriculture,
Forests, Revenue, Cooperatives of Bombay (1937 – 1939). He resigned and joined
the Satyagraha and Quit India Movements for which he was imprisoned by the
British Raj (1939 – 1946).
He served successively as Minister
of Home & Revenue, Bombay (1946 – 1952), Chief Minister of Bombay (1952 –
1956), Union Minister of Commerce & Industry (1956 – 1958), Finance (1958 –
1963), Chairman of Administrative Reforms Commission (1963 – 1967), Union
Minister of Finance & Deputy Prime Minister of India (1967 – 1969), Opposition
Leader (1969 – 1977) and Prime Minister of India (1977 – 1979).
He retired from politics in 1979 and
served till his death in 1995 as Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad
(1979 – 1995).
He died on April 10, 1995 at Bombay
aged 99 years.
Independence Activist
He resigned from his lucrative government position to join the Indian
Independence Movement in 1930 under the leadership of Mahatma
Gandhi. He actively participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement, Non
Cooperation Movement, Salt Satyagraha and Quit India Movements for which he was
imprisoned several times by the British Raj.
He was General Secretary of Indian National Congress.
Chief Minister of Bombay
He was the second Chief Minister of
Bombay state and introduced prohibition, agrarian, revenue and finance reforms.
He reorganized the police forces for protection of people and properties.
Union Minister of Finance
He had the longest tenure as Union
Minster of Finance and holds the record for presenting the maximum number of
Union Budgets – Eight Annual Budgets and Two Interim Budgets.
He also is the only Union Minister
of Finance to have presented the Union Budget on his birthday, February 29. He
did so twice in 1964 and 1968.
He raised large revenue and reduced
expenditure. He promoted austerity by curbing extravagant lifestyles of the
privileged sections of the society.
He introduced the Gold Control Acts
which restricted the trade and usage of gold in order to save valuable foreign
exchange.
Prime Minister of India
He is the oldest, First Non Congress
and Fourth Prime Minister of India. He was largely instrumental in the
landslide victory of the Janata Party in 1977 elections. He headed the first coalition
central government.
National
He introduced measures to control
inflation, demonetized high value currency notes to curb corruption and unaccounted
wealth. He introduced an amendment to
Constitution of India which restricts the imposition of Emergency.
Regional
He promoted cordial diplomatic relations
with Pakistan and China.
Others
He was Chairman of Navjivan Trust
and Trustee of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Trust, Kasturba Gandhi Memorial Trust,
Gandhi Peace Foundation and All India Prohibition Council.
A Gandhian he was a protagonist of Ahimsa,
Sarvodaya, Yoga and Naturopathy.
Awards
The Governments of Pakistan and India
conferred on him their respective highest civilian awards, Bharat Ratna in 1991
and Nishan e Pakistan in 1990. He is the first and the only Indian to be
honoured so.
Doctorates
The Universities of
Karnatak (1957), Utkal (1962) and Moscow (1977) conferred Honorary doctorates
on him for his exemplary services to the Nation.
Fellowships
He was elected Honorary Fellow of College
of Physicians & Surgeons Bombay.
Publications
Memoirs : The Story of My Life
Resources
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