https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Digvijaysinh_JhalaDigvijaysinh Jhala - Revision history2026-07-30T22:27:46ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Digvijaysinh_Jhala&diff=286865&oldid=prev->Citation bot at 08:12, 26 December 20212021-12-26T08:12:57Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian politician}}{{BLP sources|date=April 2021}}<br />
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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}<br />
{{Infobox officeholder<br />
| office = [[Ministry of Ecology| Union Minister of Ecology ]] & [[ Ministry of Environment| Environment]]<br />
| term_start = 1982<br />
| term_end = 1984<br />
| primeminister = [[ Indira Gandhi ]]<br />
| office2 = [[Member of Parliament]], [[Lok Sabha]]<br />
| term_start2 = 1980<br />
| term_end2 = 1989<br />
| constituency2 = [[Surendranagar (Lok Sabha constituency)|Surendranagar]], [[Gujarat]]<br />
| office3 = [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLA]] of [[Gujarat State]]<br />
| term_start3 = 1962<br />
| term_end3 = 1972<br />
| constituency3 = [[Wankaner]]<br />
| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|8|20|df=y}}<br />
| birth_place = Wankaner Taluka, [[Rajkot District]], [[British India]]<br />
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|4|4|1932|8|20|df=y}}<br />
| party = [[Indian National Congress]]<br />
| source = http://loksabhaph.nic.in/writereaddata/biodata_1_12/2720.htm<br />
}}<br />
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'''Digvijaysinh Pratapsinhji Jhala''' (20 August 1932 – 4 April 2021) was an Indian politician from [[Gujarat]]. He served as India's first environment minister in the central government. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/former-union-minister-digvijaysinh-zala-passes-away-at-88/articleshow/81894905.cms | title=Former Union Minister Digvijaysinh Zala passes away at 88 | publisher=[[The Economic Times]] | date=4 April 2021 | accessdate=4 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/indias-first-environment-minister-digvijaysinh-jhala-dies-at-89-7258530/lite/ | title=India's first environment minister Digvijaysinh Jhala dies at 89 | publisher=The Indian Express | date=4 April 2021 | accessdate=4 April 2021}}</ref><br />
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==Early life==<br />
Jhala was born at Ranjit Vilas Palace at [[Wankaner]] on 20 August 1932, the eldest son of [[Pratapsinhji Jhala|Captain Maharana Raj Shri Pratapsinhji Sahib]] of the princely state of Wankaner, by his wife, Sisodiji Maharani Sri Rama Kanwar Sahiba.{{cn|date=June 2020}}<br />
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He was educated at [[Rajkumar College, Rajkot]] and graduated from [[Cambridge University]], and obtained a doctorate from [[Delhi University|Delhi University's]] [[St Stephen's College, Delhi|St Stephen's College]].{{cn|date=June 2020}}<br />
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==Family==<br />
In 1955, Jhala married Maharajkumari Baiji Lal Pratap Kumari Sahiba, eldest daughter of [[Tej Singh Prabhakar|Sir Tej Singhji]], Maharaja of [[Alwar State]]. Jhala married again in 1982, to Vibha Singh, daughter of a senior bureaucrat and diplomat Shri Bhagwan Singh. She was media personality and also served as a consul general of Nauru. Jhala and Vibha's only son, Kesarisihji, was born in 1983. Kesarisihji is a member of the [[Bharatiya Janta Party]].<ref name=x/><br />
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==Wankaner State==<br />
Jhala was heir apparent to the throne of the princely state of Wankaner at birth, holding the title [[Yuvraj|Yuvraj Sahib]] of Wankaner officially from 1932 to 1948, when the State merged with newly-independent India. He succeeded his father in 2007 as the titular King of Wankaner and head of its royal house.<ref>{{cite news|title=Royal regrets selling Wankaner House to US govt|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Royal-regrets-selling-Wankaner-House-to-US-govt/articleshow/10686285.cms|accessdate=19 August 2016|publisher=Times of India|date=11 November 2011}}</ref><br />
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==Political career==<br />
Jhala entered politics after the independence of India and joined the [[Indian National Congress]]. He was a Member of Legislative Assembly for [[Wankaner]] in the [[Gujarat Legislative Assembly]] for the years 1962-67 and 1967-71. He was then elected [[Member of parliament, Lok Sabha|Member of Parliament]] for [[Surendranagar]] for two terms, from 1980 to 1989.{{cn|date=June 2020}} He also served as the Union Deputy Minister for Ecology and the Environment from 1982 to 1984.<ref name=x>{{cite news|title=Gujarat ex-royals project Modi as PM-in-waiting|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/gujarat-exroyals-project-modi-as-pminwaiting/806027/|accessdate=19 August 2016|agency=The Indian Express|date=20 June 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Short term plans, long term disasters|url=http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/23501/short-term-plans-long-term-disasters/|website=India Environment Portal|accessdate=19 August 2016}}</ref><br />
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==Personal life==<br />
Being very active in public life, Jhala was also Convener of the Indian Heritage Hotels Association, Gujarat, Chairman of Gujarat Hotels Association and President of the Wankaner Co-op Agricultural Bank Ltd for 1962-1964.<br />
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He was Director of Shree Amarsinhji Mills Ltd since 1960, a cotton textile mill founded in 1951 by his grandfather [[Amarsinhji Banesinhji|Sir Amarsinhji Banesinhji]], which was later taken over by [[Kores (company)|Kores India]] in 1980.<br />
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He served as a director of [[India Tourism Development Corporation]] for the years 1968-1982.<br />
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He was a founder member of the Indigenous Horse Society of India founded in 1999. He was also a member of the Gujarat State Water Pollution Control Board since 1976, National Committee for Environmental Planning since 1981 and president of the [[Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha]] since 1989.<ref>[http://www.akhilbharatiyakshatriyamahasabha.com/]</ref><br />
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Jhala died on 4 April 2021 at the age of 88, after a brief illness.<ref>{{Cite news|last=ANI|date=2021-04-04|title=Ex-Union Minister Digvijaysinh Zala passes away at 88 after brief illness|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/ex-union-minister-digvijaysinh-zala-passes-away-at-88-after-brief-illness-121040400137_1.html|access-date=2021-04-04}}</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
*[[MK Ranjitsinh Jhala]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://loksabhaph.nic.in/writereaddata/biodata_1_12/2720.htm Official biographical sketch in Parliament of India website]<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jhala, Digvijaysinhji}}<br />
[[Category:1932 births]]<br />
[[Category:2021 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Lok Sabha members from Gujarat]]<br />
[[Category:Gujarat MLAs 1962–1967]]<br />
[[Category:Gujarat MLAs 1967–1971]]<br />
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Gujarat]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian royalty]]<br />
[[Category:Gujarati people]]<br />
[[Category:People from Rajkot district]]<br />
[[Category:7th Lok Sabha members]]<br />
[[Category:8th Lok Sabha members]]<br />
[[Category:University of Delhi alumni]]<br />
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge]]<br />
[[Category:Indian environmentalists]]<br />
[[Category:Indian businesspeople in textiles]]</div>->Citation bot