Mangaluru: Former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha member Oscar Fernandes passed away on Monday September 13. He was 80.
He was critically injured after an accidental fall at his apartment while doing regular yoga exercises. Oscar was availing of treatment in the ICU at Yenepoya Hospital in the city since July. While he had been for routine dialysis, he underwent a check-up for a severe headache. As he had internal injuries, he was admitted to the ICU.
Oscar was born on March 27, 1941 to Roque Fernandes (Famous headmaster of Board high school, Udupi) and Leonissa Fernandes (First Lady Bench Magistrate of undivided South Kanara district). Oscar had his education at St Cecily’s Convent School, at Board High school and in MGM College, Udupi.
He married Blossom Mathias Prabhu and had one son Oshan and one daughter Oshanie.
He was a renowned Indian politician, a senior Indian National Congress leader and was the Union Cabinet Minister for Transport, Road and Highways and Labour and Employment, Government of India in UPA government.
He was the Chairman of the Central Election Authority of the All India Congress Committee. He was previously the AICC General Secretary, the Minister of State (Independent charge) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Dr. Manmohan Singh’s first UPA government in India. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to Rajiv Gandhi. He was elected to the 7th Lok Sabha in 1980 from the Udupi constituency in Karnataka. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984, 1989, 1991 and 1996 from the same constituency. Later, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1998. He was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2004. He was a Union Minister from 2004 to 2009, holding a number of portfolios such as Statistics and Programme Implementation, NRI Affairs, Youth and Sports Affairs and Labour and Employment. He served two terms as a member of the Council of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
