Career
Born on 12 January 1901 at village Ugu of Unnao district, he got his education from Kanpur. Since his student life he joined the freedom movement and was the Secretary of the District Congress Committee Kanpur during the period when Sh. Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi was the President of the Committee.
He served the Country as the Home Minister, Health Minister and Governor of Karnatak & West Bengal.
He also served as treasurer of All India Congress Committee, and Managing Director of Associated Journals at Lucknow. He founded a Girls Intermediate College at his village Ugu in the memory of his mother.
He was awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award in India in 1989, by the Government of India. Born in Ugoo in Unnao district(Unnao) of Uttar Pradesh state, to Ram Sarup and Shiv Pyari, he later studied at the Christ Church College, Kanpur.
Uma Shankar Dikshit started his political career when he joined the Indian freedom movement, during which he was imprisoned four times.
Post-Independence he remained close to Nehru and later sided Indira Gandhi during the 1969 split in Indian National Congress. He joined the Indira Gandhi cabinet in 1971, thereafter he remained Minister for Works and Housing, Government of India, 1971-1972 later given additional charge of Health and Planning, Minister for Home Affairs, 1973-1974 and Minister for Shipping and Transport, 1975. He also remained Treasurer, All India Congress Committee (Italian Association for Cells Culture), 1970-1975.
He remained the Governor of Karnataka, 1976-1977 and Governor of West Bengal 1984-1986.
He died at New Delhi on 30 May 1991 after a prolonged illness at the age of 90 years.