Ranjitsinhrao Gaekwad (8 May 1938 – 10 May 2012) was an Indian politician.

Early life and education

Born 8 May 1938 at Ootacamund, Ranjitsinhrao Gaekwad was the second son of Maharaja

Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad Shrimant Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad (29 June 1908 – 19 July 1968), belonging to the Gaekwad dynasty of the Marathas, was the ruling Maharaja of Baroda. He succeeded to the throne upon the death of his grandfather Sayajirao Gaek ...

(r. 1939–1951), and Maharani Shantadevi Gaekwad (d. 2002), daughter of Sardar Hausrkar Mansinhrao Subbarao of Hasur in

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'. Kolhapur is kn ...

. Her daughter,

Mrunalini Devi Puar Mrunalini Devi Puar (25 June 1931 – 2 January 2015) was an Indian educator and first woman chancellor of a recognized Indian university with more than 35,000 students. Biography Puar was an educator and Maharani of Dhar State. She was a member ...

was the Chancellor of The

Maharaja Sayajirao University The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, formerly Baroda College, is a public university in the city of Vadodara, in Gujarat state, India. Originally established as a college in 1881, it became a university in 1949 after the independence of ...

Baroda Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...

. He also obtained post graduate degree in

fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...

from

. He was the younger brother of

Fatehsinghrao Gaekwad Fatehsinghrao Prataprao Gaekwad II (2 April 1930, Baroda – 1 September 1988, Bombay) was an Indian politician, cricketer, and titular Maharaja of Baroda from 1951 until 1988. In the 26th amendment to the Constitution of India promulgated in ...

, who was the titular Maharaja of Baroda from 1951 to 1971. In the 26th amendment to the

Constitution of India The Constitution of India (IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental ri ...

promulgated in 1971, the Government of India abolished all official symbols of princely India, including titles, privileges, and remuneration ( privy purses).

Death

Ranjitsinh died on 10 May 2012, aged 74, in

Vadodara Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...

Career

Gaekwad was a member of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

and was elected to the

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past ...

for two terms from Baroda from 1980 to 1989. Ranjitsinhrao Gaekwad was also a well-known painter.

In His Memory

Raja Ravi Verma Award By Shubhanginiraje

A two days festival of The Maharaja Ranjitsinh Gaekwad Festival of Arts is annually organized, in his memory at the Durbar Hall in Laxmi Vilas Palace. This festival celebrates the spirit of Ranjitsinh Gaekwad’s life as an artist and musician many prominent artists like Ustad Fazal Qureshi,

Anand Bhate Anand Bhate (born 29 April 1971) is an Indian classical vocalist from the Kirana gharana. He is popular for his classical singing of songs from the Marathi film ''Balgandharva'' (2011). Early life and training Anand was born in Pune, India in 1 ...

, Sukhad Mande, and many more preforms live performances. During the festival, the

Raja Ravi Varma Raja Ravi Varma ( ml, രാജാ രവിവർമ്മ; 29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was an Indian painter and artist. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. His works are one of the best examples ...

Award for Excellence in the Field of Visual Arts was presented to veteran artist Jayant Parikh and posthumously to artists late Jyotsna Bhatt and late Rini Dhumal. A scholarship is also given to meritorious MSU Faculty of Performing Arts students.

References

External links

Genealogy of princely state of Baroda
at '' Queensland University''
Ranjitsinh Gaekwad's bust
to be installed in Kirti Mandir, Vadodara {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaekwad, Ranjitsinh Pratapsinh 2012 deaths People from Vadodara 1938 births India MPs 1980–1984 India MPs 1984–1989 Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda alumni Ranjitsinh Lok Sabha members from Gujarat Indian National Congress politicians from Gujarat