The news about the former minister of education Dr. Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank are surfacing in the Uttarakhand and social media, especially quoting professor Shri Ram Oberoi of Delhi University n former DUTA president, that his cronies were involved in shabby activities as brokers in the admissions of Kendriya Vidhyalayas and other manipulations having been allegedly taken extremely seriously by the prime minister Narendra Modi.
There were several other senior ministers having shown the door viz Ravi Shankar Prasad, Santosh Gangwar, Rattan Lal Kataria, Babul Supriyo, Deboshree Choudhary, Thawar Chand Gehlot etc but only in Dr. Nishank’s case deteriorating health was cited as the main reason for his unceremonious ouster. He possesses a strong following of admirers and detractors as well.
I also personally interacted with the minister while he was member of parliament as many others would have met him and been a part of his hospitality. He had been diplomatically quite courteous exchanging pleasentaries and presenting books written by him as usually academic politicians do, and this was his usual practice as well.
I always found him quite courteous and of affable nature trying to please everybody.
Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank who was the principal of a RSS school, Vidhya Mandir in Pauri Garhwal Uttarakhand before his joining in active politics is known as a poet and an author of several books, presenting them to various ministers, prime ministers, chief ministers, president of India and various foreign dignitaries, including the Mauritius prime minister n president before becoming the HRD minister. He has till date, 44 books to his credit with several of them authored while he was CM of Uttarakhand during his two year tenure.
He became the Uttarakhand chief minister through manipulations convincing the then central BJP high command when former Uttarakhand chief minister retired Major general Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri was compelled to resign due to faction ridden Uttarakhand BJP and recommended his name for the future CM. He served as Uttarakhand CM for two years from 2009 to 2011.
During his entire political career in Uttarakhand Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank who, for the very first time during nineties defeated the then political heavyweight MLA from Karna Prayag, higher education minister, UP and political stalwart H. N. Bahuguna’s henchmen Dr. Shiva Nand Nautiyal, projected his image as an intellectual poet and author of several books.
He progressed by leaps and bounds after entering politics in 1992. Before joining active politics he was a poet and a publisher of a local newspaper in Pauri township. He was into writing poetries and on socio political subjects dramatically getting a miraculous rise after the destruction of Babri Masjid when Uttarakhand witnessed miraculous uprising of the saffron party in Uttarakhand’s political scenerio.
In 2009 Pokhariyal became the chief minister of Uttarakhand by the dint of his hard work, intelligence and manipulations as a soft spoken intellectual politician and sharp manipulator, starting from becoming a lawmaker from Karna Prayag, Pauri Garhwal to minister and then chief minister of Uttarakhand being backed by the former CM retired Major General Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri, later on forgetting him completely, as opportunists politicians usually forget.
Starting as a political novice in 1991 he rose to become the CM of Uttarakhand in a span of sixteen years never active in Uttarakhand’s politics before 1991, either as a local politician or as student or youth leader.
While being the Uttarakhand CM he was challenged in the Uttarakhand high court by the senior journalist and chief editor of Sunday weekly of Uttarakhand Apoorva Joshi accusing him of his being allegedly involved, complicit in Sturdia scam allotting land to a builder denigrating his image with tremendous media hype gaining an image of a controvertial leader.
Being in political oblivion for some time for his shattered and tattered political image he ably convinced the RSS n BJP leadership again winning their immense trust and confidence to secure parliamentary ticket from Haridwar and won the seat to become MP for the second term and secure the unexpected ministership of education in the union cabinet.
While as union minister of education and proactive in twitter and Facebook, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank who had been in controversy regarding his Phd degree in media as well with charges levelled by his political detractors, he did his best to convince the central leadership through launching the New Education Policy, and being in constant interaction with high ups of the ministry including education experts, students, teachers and various V C s of universities exhibiting his outstanding performance, but his coterie of brokers and people with doubtful integrity damaged his image for their un expectable bad deeds for Kendriya Vidhyalayas admissions as well as other appointments in various universities of the officers of their choice etc. Such posts these days are active in social media becoming viral.
According to the Facebook post of one of the professors of Delhi University who actually allegedly lifted the lid of the alleged corruption ,Shri Ram Oberoi which is going viral in social media (reveals) : My assesment about Nishank’s dismissal from cabinet has come out to be true. I and many other well wishers of Delhi University cursed him for the misdeeds and held him fully responsible for his cunning attempts in close connivance with present acting VC PC Joshi to destroy our DU. He never deserved as HRD Minister. He played in the hands of Mafia and Agents working in the Education ministry and he degraded all Central Universities n other Top Institutions under his ministry. Now it will be the turn of DU Acting VC and his team and many other officials appointed by Nishank said the post.
Shri Ram Oberoi is the former president of Delhi University Teachers Association and had in his earlier FB post highlighted various alleged wrong doings by the minister of education as below on 1st July :
In social whatsapp too certain news about the alleged wrong doing of the minister and his cronies termed as brokers are being highlighted accusing him of various alleged corruption charges that resulted in his unceremonious ouster from the ministry.
It may be recalled that the reason given for his unceremonious exit in various media reports has been his bad health.
The former education Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank was admitted in AIIMS twice, first when he contracted Covid and thereafter due to post Covid complications.
He was in AIIMS for 29 days after he reported of breathlessness and was in ICU on oxygen for several days when his oxygen level dropped to 80. However, he came back after being fully cured after 29 days of close monitoring n treatment at AIIMS.
AS A POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, I do not agree with this as his tenure remained without controversies. The New Education Policy was introduced in his time only . Generally left sponsored media was always having an issue saffron education minister always but this time it could not happen . Nishank recently recovered from sickness and needs good rest and to be utilized for other party activities . UP , with Uttarakhand is gong to witness state assembly elections due ahead and there is big preparations , Modi ,as a good boy does good home work always and needs a huge team ahead dedicated to this election. Out come of this election would be very crucial for next Lok Sabhaa elections also . And inn ear future more leaders would be kept reserved for this issue ……..
It reflects further political scenarion…
I’m not sure where you’re getting your information, but great topic.