Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave passed away on Thursday morning in New Delhi of a cardiac arrest. Anil Madhav Dave, a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from Madhya Pradesh, was appointed as the Minister of State (MoS) independent charge of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the Narendra Modi government’s cabinet reshuffle in July last year.

Dave was born on July 6, 1956 in Barnagar village of Ujjain district in Madhya Pradesh. Dave was involved in social work right from his early days and founded NGO “Narmada Samagra” for conservation of the river. Dave was known to be sensitive to issues pertaining to the environment. He devoted his life to social work and remained unmarried.

Dave was known in the BJP for his immaculate organisational skills. He was a committed leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He began his political career in his college days was also a part of the JP Movement in 1974. Dave shot into prominence in 2003 when he crafted the strategy leading to the defeat of chief minister Digvijaya Singh. He was sworn as the minister with independent charge of environment, forest and climate change last year. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha since 2009.

The leader from Madhya Pradesh was key party strategist and served as chief of its election management committee for the three times during the state assembly elections in 2003, 2008 and 2013 and Lok Sabha elections in 2004, 2009 and 2014. He was known for his booth-level management and planning. Dave was elected to Rajya Sabha in 2009 and has been on various committees including Chairman, Select Committee on Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill 2013.

On 5 July, 2016, he was appointed as the MoS with the independent charge of the ministry of environment and forests.

Being the Minister of State of Environment Ministry, he was at the Centre of a controversy over the use of GM Mustard. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), an autonomous body within the ministry, has last week recommended the commercial cultivation of GM Mustard. The final nod on this would have to have come from the deceased minister.

Dave has also written several books in Hindi and English on the subject of politics, administration, art and culture. Some of his prominent works include Shivaji and Suraaj; Creation to Cremation; rafting through a civilization: a travelogue; Shatabdi ke Paanch Kaale Panne; Sambhal Ke Rehna Apne Ghar Me Chhupe Hue Gaddaron Se; Mahanayak Chandrashekhar Azad; Roti Aur Kamal ki Kahani; Samagra Gram Vikas; Amarkantak se Amarkantak Tak ; Beyond Copenhagen; Yes I Can, So Can We”.