Today the Paralympic Movement is recognised as a global sporting phenomenon attracting thousands of athletes from an ever-increasing number of countries. The Paralympic Games were designed to emphasize the participants' athletic achievements, not their disability. Paralympic Committee of India has achieved a good deal in promoting disability sports. Paralympic Committee is offering supplementary support to physically challenged people so that they had the right to free personal care support. But of course we can still do more - and this is where the Paralympics plays a role. We respond with the patronising attitude about "how brave and wonderful you are.." I wish all the paralympians to achieve high standards.
		Shri. Oscar Fernandes - Chief Patron

Positions Held :

1972-76 Member, Municipal Council, Udupi
1980-84 Member, Seventh Lok Sabha
1983 Joint Secretary, All India Congress Committee Member, Committee on Absence of Members from the Sittings of the House Dec.
1984-June 1985 Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister of India
1985 and 1996 onwards General Secretary, All India Congress Committee
1985-89 Member, Eighth Lok Sabha
1986 President, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee
1989-91 Member, Ninth Lok Sabha
1990 Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Energy
1991-96 Member, Tenth Lok Sabha
1996-97 Member, Eleventh Lok Sabha April
1998 Elected to Rajya Sabha
1998-99 Member, Committee on Human Resource Development Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Human Resource Development

Dec. 1999-Feb. 2004 Member, Committee on Agriculture
Jan. 2000-Feb. 2004 Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

2000-2004 Convenor, Parliamentary Forum on HIV-AIDS
May 2004 - Jan. 2006 Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
18 Nov. 2005 - 29 Jan.2006 Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
July 2004 Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
29 Jan. 2006 - 24 Oct. 2006 Minister of State (Independent Charge) Without Portfolio
24 Oct. 2006 - 2 March 2009 Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment
July 2009 onwards Member, National Board for Micro, small and Medium Enterprises Aug.

2009 onwards Chairman, Committee on Human Resources Development Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Oct. 2009 onwards Member, General Purposes Committee July 2010 Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
Aug. 2010 onwards Member, Coffee Board Member, National Monitoring Committee for Minorities' Education