Shri Shivraj Patil served as the Hon’ble Speaker of the 10th Lok Sabha and has been a senior member of the Indian National Congress. As a Speaker, he was the Chairperson of the Business Advisory Committee, Rules Committee, and General Purposes Committee. He was also the Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Conference of Presiding Officers of the Legislative Bodies in Bharat. Shri Shivraj Patil has also served as the President of the Indian Parliamentary Group, the National Group of Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the India Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Shri Shivraj Patil also served as the Minister of Home Affairs of Bharat between 2004 and 2008, and the Hon’ble Governor and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh from 2010 to 2015. He first became the Member of the 7th Lok Sabha in 1980 and retained his seat for 7 consecutive terms till 2004. In the decade between 1980 and 1990, he served as a member of the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament before briefly becoming its Chairperson. He also held important portfolios like the Minister of State for Defence, Commerce, Science and Technology, Atomic Energy, Electronics, Space & Ocean Development, and Bio-Technology. Additionally, he also served as the Minister of State for Personnel and Training, Public Grievances and Pensions and Administrative Reforms, Defence Production, Civil Aviation, and Tourism.
During the “reform years”, Shri Shivraj Patil led the Lok Sabha as its 10th Speaker and played an instrumental role in shaping the debates and discussions in the House. Between 1996 and 2004, he was a member of the Committee on Defence, the Committee on External Affairs, the Rules Committee, and the Committee on Privileges. He was a member of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Ministry of Home Affairs. During his 7th term, he was the chairperson of the Committee on Finance between 1999 and 2000.
Shri Shivraj Patil served 2 terms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly between 1972 and 1979. During his first term, he served as the Chairman of the Public Undertakings Committee between 1974 and 1975 before becoming Deputy Minister of Law and Judiciary, Irrigation, and Protocol. He holds the unique distinction of becoming the Deputy Speaker and the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly before becoming the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Shri Shivraj Patil has also served 3 terms as the President of Latur Municipality in 1967, 1971, and 1972. He is an advocate by profession and also takes a keen interest in agriculture, and social work. He enjoys reading, painting, swimming, horse riding, and shooting.
Shri Shivraj Patil has authored 4 books Reminiscences and Reflections; Emerging Vision of India; Ecstasy and Agony of a Presiding Officer; and Fragrance of Innerself. During his tenure as the Speaker of Lok Sabha, 17 Departmentally Related Standing Committees were formally inaugurated on 31 March 1993. To meet the members’ information demands, he actively participated in the development of a contemporary Parliament Library Building. His insight sped up the computerization of the Parliament record, and members received computers so they could access real-time information on a variety of tasks. The live telecasting of Lok Sabha proceedings was another intriguing project that saw its inception under him. On August 25, 1994, live broadcasts of the proceedings began. The first events to be broadcast live in Bharat were the Question Hours of both Houses of Parliament on alternating weeks.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat’s six videos about parliamentary practice and procedures were created and directed by Shri Shivraj Patil after he realised the importance of “bringing Parliament to the people of Bharat.” Under his guidance, the Lok Sabha Secretariat also awarded fellowships to researchers working on projects about legislative institutions, law-making, and Parliamentary practices.
Shri Shivraj Patil is known for his innovation, and deep insights. He was widely popular for espousing a balanced approach during his tenure as the Speaker of Lok Sabha. He was instrumental in highlighting the problems in the 10th Schedule of the Constitution and prescribed remedies for the same. Known for his initiatives in the Parliament, Shri Shivraj Patil is an inspiration for aspiring political leaders.
