Mandaviya: A Gujarat lawmaker who has campaigned for girls' education (Profile)

New Delhi, July 5: BJP Rajya Sabha member Mansukh L Mandaviya, who was earlier a member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, has been an active campaigner for girls' education in his home state.

As a Gujarat lawmaker, Mandaviya has served the state as chairman of Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd. Elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2012, Mandaviya was on Tuesday sworn-in as Minister of State in the Union council of ministers.

As member of the upper house, Mandaviya has served as member of the Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas, National Welfare Board for Seafarers, Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers and Select Committee of Rajya Sabha on the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013.

During his younger days, Mandaviya was an active member of the state executive committee of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and campaigned for girls' education by undertaking a 123- km long 'Kanya Kelavni Jyot Padyatra' which connected 45 educationally backward villages in Palitana taluk in 2005.

He organised another 127-km long 'padyatra' connecting 52 villages of Gariyadhar province in Palitana taluk, under the banner of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Bhanavo, Vyasan Hatavo' in 2007.

He was born on June 1, 1972 in Hanol in Gujarat and was educated at Songadh Gurukul and Gujarat Agricultural University.

Married to Geeta Ben, Mandaviya has a son and a daughter.

IANS