Finance Minister Arun Jaitley a day before presenting the budget for 2015 at Parliament sitting in his office. (Express photo by Renuka Puri)
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley a day before presenting the budget for 2015 at Parliament sitting in his office. (Express photo by Renuka Puri)

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is the man on whom entire India will be fixated today as he presents the Union Budget 2015 in Parliament. Here is a brief profile of the man of the moment.

Party

Bharatiya Janata Party

Father’s Name

Maharaj Kishen Jaitley

Mother’s Name

Shrimati Ratan Prabha Jaitley
 
Date of Birth

28 December 1952

Place of Birth

New Delhi

Marital Status

Married

Date of Marriage

24 May 1982

Spouse’s Name

Shrimati Sangeeta Jaitley

Children

One son and one daughter

Educational Qualifications

B.Com. (Hons.), LL.B. Educated at Sri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi and Faculty of Law, University of Delhi

Position Held

1989-90

Additional Solicitor General, Government of India

1991 onwards

Member, National Executive, Bharatiya Janata Party

13 Oct. 1999-30 Sept. 2000

Minister of State (Independent charge) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

10 Dec. 1999-July 2000

Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Department of Disinvestment (Additional Charge)

April 2000

Elected to Rajya Sabha

23 July 2000 – 6 Nov. 2000

Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs

7 Nov. 2000 – 1 July 2002

Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs

20 March 2001 – 1 Sept. 2001

Minister of Shipping (Additional Charge)

1 July 2002-Jan. 2003

General Secretary and Spokesperson, B.J.P.

29 July 2002-29 Jan. 2003 and March 2005-March 2010

Member, Court of the University of Delhi

1-29 Jan. 2003

Member, Committee on Home Affairs Member, Committee on External Affairs

29 Jan. 2003-21 May 2004

Minister of Law and Justice and Minister of Commerce and Industry

July 2004 onwards

General Secretary, B.J.P.

Aug. 2004-May 2009

Member, Committee of Privileges

Aug. 2004-May 2009 and Aug. 2009 – April 2012

Member, Committee on Commerce

Oct. 2004-May 2009

Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Home Affairs

Jan. 2006-July 2010

Member, Indian Council of World Affairs

April 2006

Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (second term)

Aug. 2006-Dec. 2008

Member, Joint Committee to examine the constitutional and legal position relating to Office of Profit

Aug. 2006-Dec. 2009

Member, Joint Committee on Offices of Profit

3 June 2009-2 April 2012 and 3 April 2012 onwards

Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha

Aug. 2009 onwards

Member, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Installation of Portraits/Statues of National Leaders and Parliamentarians in Parliament House Complex

Dec. 2009 onwards

Member, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Maintenance of Heritage Character and Development of Parliament House

April 2012

Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (third term)

June-Nov. 2012

Member, Select Committee of Rajya Sabha on the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011

26th May 2014 onwards

Union Cabinet Minister, Finance

Social and Cultural Activities, Literary, Artistic and Scientific Accomplishments and other Special InterestsReading and writing on legal and current affairs; connected with educational institutions; Chairperson, Governing Body of Kamla Nehru College, Delhi, 1993-98; Member, (i) Governing Body of Sri Ram College of Commerce and (ii)Governing Council, National Law University, Delhi

Sports, Clubs, Favourite Pastimes and Recreation

President, Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA); Vice President, Board of Control for Cricket in India (B.C.C.I.); Member, Governing Council, Indian Premier League (I.P.L.)

Countries Visited

U.S.S.R., as part of Youth Exchange delegation, 1978; Switzerland and Sweden, as Additional Solicitor General, 1990; U.S.A., as part of Indian delegation to the U.N.G.A., 1998; Syria in connection with an International Treaty, 2000; also represented India during visits to U.S.A., Pakistan, U.K., France, Denmark, U.A.E., the Netherlands, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, China, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, Germany, South Africa and Hungary; led Indian delegation to the WTO Conference held during 10-14 September 2003 in Cancun, Mexico; visited several countries across North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia

Other Information

Recipient of several distinctions for outstanding performance both in academics and extra-curricular activities during student days; President, Delhi University Students Union, 1974; prominent leader of a movement against corruption launched in 1973 by late Shri Jai Prakash Narain; was Convenor, National Committee for Students and Youth Organisation appointed by late Shri Jai Prakash Narain; detained for 19 months under M.I.S.A. during Internal Emergency (1975-77) when civil liberties were suspended; practising law before the Supreme Court and several High Courts in the country since 1977; designated Senior Advocate in 1989; was member of the Indian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly Session in June 1998, where the Declaration on Laws relating to Drugs and Money Laundering was approved; has delivered lectures on many important subjects including IT Convergence, the Broadcasting Laws of India, Disinvestment and on the Review of the Functioning of the Indian Constitution; Why India Matters at London, Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit, 2003 Keynote Address at FICCI-UNCTAD Joint Seminar on Reflections on Post-Cancun Agenda; has also been appointed as Representative of the Central Government to hold discussions with the nominees of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and other groups on the issue of devolution of powers in the State, July 2002; associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party in different capacities; General Secretary, B.J.P., July 2004-June 2009.