Environment minister Anil Madhav Dave passes away at 60

India's minister of environment, forest and climate change Anil Madhav Dave arrives for a bilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of state John Kerry during the Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on the elimination of hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) use in Kigali, Rwanda October 14, 2016. REUTERS/James Akena - RTSS7ZQ

Anil Madhav Dave, the Minister of State (MoS) for Environment, Forest and Climate, passed away early today. The cause of death is not known. He was 60.

He had been appointed to take independent charge as MoS of the environment ministry in the Modi Government's cabinet expansion on July 5, 2016.

In a tweet sharing the news of the sudden demise of Dave, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he will be remembered as a devoted public servant. He was tremendously passionate towards conserving the environment.

In another tweet, he said, the demise is a personal loss

I was with Anil Madhav Dave ji till late last evening, discussing key policy issues. This demise is a personal loss.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 18, 2017