INDIA'S environment minister Anil Madhav Dave died today (18) at the age of 60 in New Delhi, shocking colleagues who remembered him as a nature lover committed to conservation.
Dave complained of discomfort in the morning and was rushed from his home to the state-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences where he passed away.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to which he belonged confirmed Dave's passing in a brief statement.
Prime minister Narendra Modi expressed his shock at his colleague's sudden death, describing it as a "personal loss".
"I was with Anil Madhav Dave ji till late last evening, discussing key policy issues," Modi tweeted.
"Anil Madhav Dave ji will be remembered as a devoted public servant. He was tremendously passionate towards conserving the environment."
Other colleagues remembered Dave as a passionate conservationist who spearheaded a campaign to protect India's Narmada river running through his home state of Madhya Pradesh.
Dave, who was unmarried, had been a member of parliament's upper house since 2009.
(AFP)
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa (R) welcomes Indian prime minister Narendra Modi as he arrives for the opening of the G20 Leaders' Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on November 22, 2025. (Photo by Halden KROG / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
