Sharad Govindrao Pawar

Sharad Govindrao Pawar (born 12 December 1940) is an Indian politician who serves as the president of the Nationalist Congress Party which he founded in 1999, after separating from the Indian National Congress. He previously served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on three separate occasions and held the posts of Minister of Defence and Minister of Agriculture in the Government of India. Pawar hails from the town of Baramati in the Pune district of Maharashtra. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha where he leads the NCP delegation. He holds a position of prominence in national politics as well as the regional politics of Maharashtra.

Pawar has served as the Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI from 2005 to 2008 and as the president of the International Cricket Council from 2010 to 2012. On 17 June 2015, he was re-elected as president of the Mumbai Cricket Association, a position he held from 2001 to 2010 and in 2012. On 17 December 2016, he stepped down as the President of Mumbai Cricket Association

Life

Sharad Pawar is one of eleven children born to Govindrao Pawar, who was employed in the Baramati Farmers' Cooperative (Sahakari Kharedi Vikri Sangh), and Shardabai Pawar, who looked after the family farm at Katewadi, ten kilometres from Baramati. Pawar studied at Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC), University of Pune. He was an average student but active in student politics.[5] Pawar is married to Pratibha (née Shinde). They have one daughter, Supriya Sule, who is married to Sadanand Sule. Supriya currently represents the Baramati constituency in the 15th Lok Sabha. Pawar's nephew, Ajit Pawar, is also a politician and served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Rayat Education Society

Dr. Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil laid the foundation of mass education in rural Maharashtra, which was free from consideration of caste, creed, sex and religion. His followers were inspired by his idealism, selflessness, sacrifice, dignity of labour and true cosmopolitanism. He realized his dream of educating the deprived and downtrodden sections of society by founding Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, initially at primary education level and slowly upgrading to secondary and higher education. Now the Sanstha has wide network of schools and colleges spread all over Maharashtra. The Sanstha also has adopted pro-active learning environment by exploiting the knowledge revolution. - Hon.Sharad Pawar, President, Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, Satara.