Dr. Vallabhbhai Kathiria

Reading religious and spiritual books; Practicing Vipassana meditation and fond of performing various major surgical operations; working for water-shed activities, organic farming and rural development; organising Seminar on value education; and active in strengthening educational institutions

Belgium, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, Pakistan,Thailand and USA; Attended, (i) International Medical Parliamentarians Conference on Women, Health and Environment at Bangkok in Thailand, 1997; (ii) SAARC Conference on Reproductive Health and AIDS, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1998; and (iii) IMPO Conference on Economic Crisis and its impact on Health, Jakarta, Indonesia, 1998; (iv) attended Annual Conference of AAPI, 2002, 2003 in U.S.A.; (v) attended Conference on HIV / AIDS amd Population in Pakistan,2004 (vi) Conference on Women`s Empowerment and Population Development in Malaysia 2004; (vii) Conference of Parliamentarians on Population Development, France 2004

Associated with Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (R.S.S.) since childhood; participated in Nav-nirman agitation in Gujarat, 1973-74; as a surgeon, operated over 7500 patients and diagnosed and cured over 1,00,000 patients; associated with several medical organisations in different capacities in Rajkot and Saurashtra since 1983; donated blood 104 times; organised more than 500 general diagnostic camps and 350 blood donation camps; imprisoned during Emergency; introduced the mobile hospital concept, especially mobile dispensary service in rural areas; Member, (i) All India Council for Health and Family Welfare, 1998-99; (ii) Tuberculosis Association of India, 1998-99; (iii) Nursing Council of India 1996-97; (iv) International Medical Parliamentarian Association; (v) Divisional Railways Users’ Consultative Committee, Rajkot and Bhavnagar Division; (vi) Telephone Advisory Committee; (vii) Federation of Legislators of India (viii) International Forum of Parliamentarians on Intellectual Property; and (ix) National Cooperative Forum; (x) Constitution Club, Delhi; and (xi) Indian Council of Medical Research; Conferred Dadabhai Navarojaji Industrial Peace and Development Award, 2000; instrumental in organising (i) "Heavy meets the small" - a giant industrial show in Rajkot, 2000; (ii) Agro Vision-2003 (Revolutionary Agricultural Event); (iii) Rajkot Book Fair-2003; and (iv) Arogya Mela Feb. 2004; (v) Blood Donation Camp in which 5174 blood donors donated their blood at a time following the unprecedented earthquake in Gujarat in 2001, undertook untiring work of rescue, relief and rehabilitation of the affected people; tried to solve water scarcity problem with the help of Check Dams & Water Harvesting structures; and is popularily known as `Check-Dam Sansad ` professing faith in "Nothing but the hard work succeeds" and nurturing vision of " The glorious, the great and the divine India" of 21st Century

Trustee, (i) Shri Arvindbhai Maniar Trust, Rajkot; (ii) Sadbhavna Hospital, Mahuva, Gujarat; and (iii) Adarsh Seva Mandal, Patanvav, and (iv) Vasundhara Trust, Rajkot