Veerappa Moily, also known as Moodbidri Veerappa Moily, is the former Minister for Corporate Affairs in the Government of India and the former Chief Minister of Karnataka. He became the Member of Parliament from the Chikballapur constituency in 2009. Moily is also the All India Congress Committee General Secretary, for Andhra Pradesh. He is a veteran in the Indian National Congress Party and an advisor of Sonia Gandhi, leader of the Party. Apart from being involved in politics, Veerappa Moily is known to be a well known literary figure in Karnataka. He has some contribution as a regular columnist for leading print and electronic media. Moily was the first one from the South Canara district, who became the Chief Minister of Karnataka. He won a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka from the constituency of Karkala, Udupi district.

Early Life of Veerappa Moily
Veerappa Moily was born on 12th January 1940 at Marpadi Village, Moodibidri, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka. He completed his B.A from University College at Hampankatta, Mangalore. Veerappa Moily did his B.L. from University Law College in Bengaluru.

Political Career of Veerappa Moily
Moily was appointed as the chairman of the Overseeing Committee for Implementation of Reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBC). Later, Moily was appointed as the Chairman of Second Administrative Reform Commission of India. Moily has also remained the President of the Media Wing of the Congress. For several years, he served as Head Spokesperson of the party. He resigned from both posts in May 2009 due to some political circumstances. Moodbidri Veerappa Moily also headed the execution of economic reformations in Karnataka in 1992. In 1974, the execution of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act was made by him. Moily was the leader of a number of policies, projects and achievements related to the State of Karnataka in ministries and sectors including Irrigation and Power, Housing and Rural Development, Finance, Empowerment, Urban Development and Infrastructure, Education and Culture. He was the founder of the Krishna Jalabhagya Nigam scheme.

Moily, during his tenure of ministerial position, brought many reformations in various sectors including Rural and Urban Development and Infrastructure, where he took initiative in formulating and implementing drinking water schemes along with housing schemes and employment of guarantee schemes. Moily established Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance for formulating and evaluating infrastructure development projects, capacity building/ training on urban development issues, implementation of urban infrastructure projects and mobilisation of funds from different sources.

Positions held by Veerappa Moily
Moily served as the Minister for Small Scale Industries, Government of Karnataka from 1974 to 1977. He was the Minister for Finance and Planning, from 1983 to 1985. Moily from 1989 to 1992, remained as the Minister for Law, Youth Service, Culture, Information, Parliamentary Affairs and Education for the Government of Karnataka. From 1992 to 1994, he chaired as the Chief Minister of Karnataka and served as the Chairman of Tax Reforms Commission from 2000 to 2002. Later, from 2002 to 2004, Moily served as the Chairman of Revenue Reforms Commission and during the period of 2006 to 2009, he was the Chairman of the Oversight Committee. While serving in this position, he implemented 27% reservation for OBC in central educational institutions. He remained the Cabinet Minister of Law and Justice, Government of India from 2009-2011.

Other Ventures of Veerappa Moily
He introduced projects like Konkan Railways, International Convention Centre, and International Airport in Bengaluru and National Games in Bengaluru. Apart from these projects, he also approved and implemented the ADB aid programme for the coastal region of Karnataka. In the educational sectors, Moily founded the nation`s leading law institute, The National Law School University and executed the Total Literacy Programme in the State of Karnataka. He established 6 universities such as Karnataka Open University, Rajiv Gandhi Medical University, Kannada University, Gulbarga University, Visweshwariah Technical University and Mangalore University. Moily initiated the Chief Architect of the new Common Entrance Test (CET) system.

Moily, by several incentives to Indian and multinational companies positioned the foundation for the growth of Information Technology industry in Bengaluru. He was behind the establishment of International Information Technology Park (ITPL) at Whitefield in Bengaluru, the Peenya Industrial estate, the Electronic City, an IT industrial estate at Anekal, Karnataka. He sanctioned and alleviated the institution of the major employment generating companies like the MRPL, Wipro Vijaynagar Steel Plant and BSAF in Karnataka.

Publications of Veerappa Moily
Apart from being a renowned political figure, Moily is also a good writer. He wrote Sri Ramayana Mahanveshanam in Kannada language. Later this was translated in Hindi language and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi published the Hindi version of the epic poem. Part 1 and 2 of the book, Musings on India is written by Moily and the book contains articles related to public finance and contemporary issues. He is also the author of Anthropological novels like Sagardeepa, Suligali, Thembare and Kotta that are available in Kannada, Hindi, English and Tamil languages. He wrote dramas like Premavendare, Milana and Parajitha. Books like Nadeyali Samara, Yakshaprashne and Halu-Jenu Maththe are collections of poems.

Achievements of Veerappa Moily
Veerappa Moily is the winner of several prestigious awards namely Ameen Sadbhavana Award in 2000, Devaraj Urs Prashasthi in 2001, Aryabhatta Award in 2001, Dr B R Ambedkar Award in 2002 and Moortidevi Award in the year 2010.

Personal Life of Veerappa Moily
Moodbidri Veerappa Moily is married to his cousin Malathi, and they have 4 children, 3 grandsons and 2 grand daughters.