Udupi is one of district of Karnataka in India. There are 3 Taluks, 233 villages and 21 towns in Udupi district.
As per the Census India 2011, Udupi district has 2,53,078 households, population of 11,77,361 of which 5,62,131 are males and 6,15,230 are females. The population of children between age 0-6 is 1,03,160 which is 8.76% of total population.
The sex-ratio of Udupi district is around 1094 compared to 973 which is average of Karnataka state. The literacy rate of Udupi district is 78.69% out of which 82.85% males are literate and 74.89% females are literate. The total area of Udupi is 3,582 sq.km with population density of 329 per sq.km.
Out of total population, 71.63% of population lives in Urban area and 28.37% lives in Rural area. There are 6.41% Scheduled Caste (SC) and 4.49% Scheduled Tribe (ST) of total population in Udupi district.
Hon’ble Mr. Oscar Fernandes, 72, is a senior political leader in India and is a member of Indian National Congress. He made his foray into politics by contesting the Udupi Municipal Council election in the ‘70s has the experience of working for the Congress from the grass root level as Block Youth Congress President. Oscar who won the Udupi Lok Sabha elections in 1980 has recorded five successive wins including the win in 1980, 1985, 1990, 1994 and 1998 general elections.
He was the Union Minister for Transport, Road and Highways and Labour and Employment under UPA government. Fernandes is a well-respected politician in the Central Government and has a close proximity to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Becoming a minister for the very first time in UPA – II Government, Mr. Fernandes has held many key posts in the Manmohan Singh Government and also in the party.
He has held different positions in the party right from Block Youth Congress President to AICC General Secretary post. He has served as KPCC President from 1987 to 1992 and as Political Secretary to late prime minister Rajeev Gandhi. Earlier, he has served as Labour Minister in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Cabinet. It was during his stint as labour minister that Udupi got a regional office of Provident Fund. Oscar has served as President and Convenor of various Parliamentary Committees.
He has also played a crucial role behind the implementation of Central Government schemes like Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana and Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Oscar who has served as AICC Executive Committee Member for 26 years, has significantly contributed to the development of the coastal districts. When he was the Lok Sabha Member he had even served as President of Brahmavar Sugar Factory and strived for its development.
He had campaigned for late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when she had contested from Chikmagalur and since then has been close to the Gandhi family.
Being an AICC General Secretary in the UPA government was also a major career leap for him.
He is currently the Union cabinet minister for Transport, Road and Highways and is also looking after the portfolio Labour and Employment.
Positions held:
- He was the member of Municipal Council in Udupi from 1972 to 1976.
- He was the Joint Secretary of the 7th Lok Sabha in 1983.
- He was also the member of AICC.
- He was the President of the 8th Lok Sabha in 1986.
- He was the member of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee from 1989 to 1999.
- He was also the member of 9th, 10th, 11th Lok Sabha.
- He was the member of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Energy from 1991 to 1996.
- He was the Convener of Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas from 2000 to 2004.
- He was the Minister of State of the Youth Affairs and Sports Minister of State.
- He was the Minister of State of Overseas Indian Affairs. He was the Minister of State of Ministry of Labour and Employment.
- He was a Member of the Committee on Human Resources Development.
- He was a Member of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- He was the Chairman of National Monitoring Committee for Minorities’ Education.
- He was also the Member of Council of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.