Shri Tarun Vijay Member Of Parliament (RAJYA SABHA) Father's Name : Late Shri Ram Murti Pawsey Mother's Name : Shrimati Raj Rani Date of Birth : 2 March 1956 Place of Birth : Dehradun (Uttarakhand) Marital Status : Married Spouse's Name : Shrimati Vandana Vijay Children : One son and one daughter Educational Qualification : B.A. Educated at Dehradun and Osmania University, Hyderabad Profession : Journalist/Writer Permanent Address: 35, Krishna Street (Ghosi Gali), Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Tel. - {0135} 2652600, 2656888 Present Address : 5, Meena Bagh, Maulana Azad Road, New Delhi.110001 Tel. - 23062888 Mobile: 9711254888 E-mail : Positions Held: July 2010 Elected to Rajya Sabha Aug. 2010 - Aug. 2011 Member, Committee on External Affiars Aug. 2012 onwards Member, Committee on Human Resource Development Freedom Fighter : No Books Published: Author of several books which include (in English), (i) Saffron Surge, (ii) India Battles to Win and (iii) An Odyssey in Tibet (the book has been translated into the Chinese, Marathi, Gujarati and Hindi language); edited, Indus Saga; In Hindi, (i) Sakshat Shiv Se Samvad, (ii) Akash Hamare Seene Mein, (iii) Samay Ka Sach, (iv) Yudh Abhi Baki Hai, (v) Bharat Ka Man, (vi) Pankh Lagi Pagdandiya, (vii) Bharat Niyati Aur Sangharsh, (viii) Rishi Parampara and (ix) Man Ka Tulsi Chaura (launched in Delhi and Patna Book Fairs, 2012) edited, (i) Vampanthi Kalush Katha, (ii) Communist Atankvad, (iii) Kargil Katha (iv) Sindhu Gatha and (v) Ramsetu Rakshtu; has written over 2000 articles in English and Hindi in national dailies and magazines; regular columnist for more than twenty two newspapers; was chief Editor of Panchjanya for approxmately two decades Social and Cultural Activities, Literary, Artistic and Scientific Accomplishments and other Special Interests : Author, traveller and poet, known for his writings on pluralism, Hindu nationalism and anti-terror activities; National Spokesperson, B.J.P.; Honorary Director, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation; nomintated on the (i) Executive Council Board of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, 2002-2003, and (ii) Governing Council of Makhan Lal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism, Bhopal since 2004; Vice-Chairman, Media Committee, Afro-Asian Games, 2001; Youngest member of Home Minister's Advisory Committee (HMAC), 1981-82 during Smt. Indira Gandhi's regime; was Member, (i) Central Official Language Committee chaired by the Prime Minister of India, 2002-04, (ii) Jury, National Film Awards, 2001, (iii) Executive Committee, Editors Guild of India, 2004-2005, (iv) Authors Guild of India, (v) India-Japan Eminent Persons' Group (MEA) and (vi) India-China Eminent Persons' Group (MEA); recieved prestigious fellowship from Sichuan University, China to study India-China relations; a Sinologist working on India-China Relations; was invited by the U.S. Govt. to study its democratic institutions in 1990; invited by the European Commission to Brussels to study its democratic institutions in 2004; conceptualized and helped materialise Indus Festival (Sindhu Darshan) in Ladakh; led India's first-Indus expedition from Demchhok to Batalik; awarded, (i) Best Editor Award by Delhi Publishers Association, 1994, (ii) Pragya Samman, New Delhi, 1994, (iii) Gyani Gyan Singh Award for best writings in Hindi by the Government of Punjab, April 1999 (iv) Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Literary Award, 2000, Nagaur (Rajasthan), (v) Gaurav Samman by the Rotary Club for fearless journalism, 2001, (vi) Vishwa Hindi Ratna Samman, 2001 and (vii) Rajmata Scindia Award for Journalism, 2007; he is an environmentalist, tribal activist and a keen photographer Sports, Clubs, Favourite Pastimes and Recreation : Trekking, mountaineering, photography and cycling Countries Visited : Bangladesh, Belgium, Cambodia, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Singapore, Switzerland, Suriname, Thailand, Uzbekistan, U.S.A., U.K. and Vietnam; Led a CII delegation of young Parliamentarians to Japan, in January 2011; was part of a FICCI delegation of parliamentarians to China in 2011 and a historic delegation to Pakistan led by Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha in February 2012; Visited, Combodia and Thailand to help restore peace on a thousand year old Shiva temple 'Preah Vihiear' situated on Combodia-Thailand border Other Information : Participated in save democracy movement during the Emergency in 1975; established Vani Parishad, an organization for the youth and spread Vivekananda Youth Mahamandal under the guidance of the Ramakrishna Mission; worked as a full time worker of the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram in Dadra and Nagar Haveli for five years; was the only Editor known in South Asia to have taken the initiative to launch a 'Peace Agenda Initiative' collaborating with the largest circulation daily in Pakistan, Daily Jang; participated in Metropolis Conference, The Hague, 2010; has completed pilgrimage to Kailash-Mansarovar twice, from Indian side and from Lhasa; was feliciatated by the Princess of Thailand for strengthening India-Thai relations Source: ahttp://rajyasabha.nic.in/ .