Background
Kumar was born in Haridwar, Uttar Pradesh, India, to Jagat Ram Saini and Santosh Kumari, who immigrated to Derby when he was twelve years of age.
Kumar was born in Haridwar, Uttar Pradesh, India, to Jagat Ram Saini and Santosh Kumari, who immigrated to Derby when he was twelve years of age.
He attended Rykneld Boys" Secondary Modern School (later merged with Bemrose Grammar School and now Bemrose Community School), Derby. He left at 15 to study for O-levels at Wilmorton College, and attended Derby & District College of Art & Technologyfor his "A" Levels. He then studied chemical engineering at Aston University, Birmingham where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science in 1978, and an Master of Science in Process Analysis and Control Theory in 1980, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Fluid Mechanics in 1982.
The thesis title was Velocity distributions in a plate heat exchanger. He was a Research Fellow at Imperial College London (1982-1985) and worked as a research scientist at British Steel, Middlesbrough from 1985 to 1997. He began his political career as a local councillor for Middlesbrough Borough Council (1987-1997).
He became the Member of Parliament for Langbaurgh at the 1991 Langbaurgh by-election, but lost the seat to the Conservative candidate in the 1992 election.
In June 2010 IChemE (the Institution of Chemical Engineers) and NEPIC (the Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster) launched the Ashok Kumar fellowship post in memory of Kumar. The annual fellowship will see the successful candidate spend three months at the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST).
Ashok Kumar Member of Parliament was a supporter of industrial engagement and the concepts of economic clusters. He regularly chaired the NEPIC Member of Parliament/Industry meetings and contributed to the growth and innovation agenda of the Cluster.
Tributes from NEPIC Industrialists for his work came after his untimely death.
Kumar was found dead by police in his constituency home in Canberra Road, Marton on 15 March 2010. Police announced that he had died from natural causes.
50th United Kingdom Parliament. 52nd United Kingdom Parliament. 53rd United Kingdom Parliament.
54th United Kingdom Parliament]
He was a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Energy Institute.
He was a Member of Parliamentary Scientific Committee. Vice-Chair of Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies.
Chair of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST). And Chair of Northern Group of Labour MPs.