P. J. Kurien

Prof. P. J. Kurien
പ്രൊഫ. പി. ജെ. കുര്യൻ
File:P. J. Kurien portrait.jpg
Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 August 2012
Preceded by	K. Rahman Khan
MP of Rajya Sabha for Kerala
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 July 2012
Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha)
In office 1980–1984
In office 1989–1999
Constituency	Mavelikara
In office 1984–1989
Constituency	Idukki
Personal details
Born	(1941-03-30) 30 March 1941 Vennikulam, Travancore State (now Kerala, India)
Political party	INC
Other political affiliations	United Progressive Alliance (2004–present)
Spouse(s)	Susan
Alma mater	St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry Government Science College, Rewa

Pallath Joseph "P. J." Kurien is an Indian politician, social worker and educationist who is the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India. A leader of the Indian National Congress party, Kurien previously served as a Union Minister in the P. V. Narasimha Rao government and was a member of the Lok Sabha for six consecutive terms from 1980 to 1999. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2005.

Early life

P. J. Kurien was born on 31 March 1941 to P. G. Joseph and Rachel Joseph in a Syrian Christian (Marthoma) family at Vennikulam in Tiruvalla, Pathanamthitta District, Kerala. He had his early education at St. Behanas High School, Vennikulam. For higher education, he attended St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry, Kerala and at Government Science College, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. He was a professor of Physics at St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry, when he entered politics.

Positions held

• 1980-84 Member, Seventh Lok Sabha.
• 1984-89 Member, Eighth Lok Sabha.
• 1987-89 Member, Executive, Congress Parliamentary Party [C.P.P.(I)],Member, House Committee,Member, Committee on Public Undertakings.
• 1989-91 Member, Ninth Lok Sabha, Chief Whip, Congress Parliamentary Party, Member of the Business Advisory Committee.
• 1991-96 Member, Tenth Lok Sabha.
• 1991-93 Union Minister of State, Industry with additional charge of Commerce.
• 1992-93 Union Minister of State, Industry,(Department of Small Scale, Agro and Rural Industries) with additional charge of Commerce.
• 1994-98 Chairman, Board of Governors, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
• 1995-96 Union Minister of State, Non-Conventional Energy Sources.
• 1996-98 Member, Eleventh Lok Sabha, Member of the Business Advisory Committee.
• 1998-99 Member, Twelfth Lok Sabha, Chief Whip, Congress Parliamentary Party,Member, Business Advisory Committee,Jan.
• July 2005 Elected to Rajya Sabha
• August 2012 Elected Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha

Controversy

Prof. Kurien was alleged to be an accused in the Suryanelli rape case, though his name was never included in the list of accused. There are four inquiries which exonerated Prof. Kurien, three inquiries were held under the Chief Ministership of Shri E.K. Nayanar, who himself used the allegation against Prof. Kurien during 1996 elections, and was also a respondent in the defamation case filed by Prof. Kurien. During these three inquiries, Prof. Kurien was only an opposition MP; Congress Party being out of power both at the Centre and in Kerala. Prof. Kurien has maintained his innocence and police investigations into the case have also deemed him innocent. There are speculations such as the alleged controversy against Prof. Kurien is politically motivated and his political power even led to the exoneration. Sessions Judge Abraham Mathew in his order held that the victim’s plea for inclusion of Prof. Kurien in the sex scandal case was not maintainable

References

• http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/suryanelli-victims-plea-against-kurien-dismissed/article4863280.ece
• http://zeenews.india.com/news/kerala/suryanelli-sex-scandal-breather-for-pj-kurien-as-convict-retracts-claim_851672.html

External links

• Profile on Rajya Sabha website
• [1]

Political offices
Preceded by K Rahman Khan	Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha 2012–present	Incumbent