Arun Jaitley (28 December 1952) is one of the eminent lawmakers who served as an Indian attorney and senator in the Indian Republic. He presided as the Union Finance Minister (2014 – 2019) and Defence Minister (2014 & 2017) in the Indian government and has also held significant portfolios in Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi governments. Due to his ailments, Jaitley has pronounced not to associate with the Modi Cabinet in 2019.
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POLITICAL FOOTSTEPS
Being a lawyer, Arun Jaitley initiates his political journey from the University of Delhi, from where he graduated in 1977. He was a student activist in the ABVP (Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad) in the 70s at the Delhi University and rose to be the President of Student’s Union in 1974. He underwent many struggles and placed under detention in the Ambala jail and the Tihar jail, Delhi. He considered this experience as one of the significant turning points in his life and career.
In 1977, Jaitley became the convener of the Loktantrik Yova Morcha youth organisation. And in 1980, he joined BJP. Since 1991, he was a member of the National Executive of the BJP.
On behalf of the Indian government, Jaitley elected in the Union Nation General Assembly Session in 1998. Additionally, he served as the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Department in 1999. He also administered as the spokesperson of BJP before the General Assembly Elections.
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In July 2000, Arun Jaitley headed the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs due to the retirement of Ram Jethmalani. He exalted as the Cabinet Minister in November 2000, and he was the first Minister of Shipping. He made various amendments to the Civil Procedure Code, Companies Act and the Criminal Procedure Code.
In July 2002, he abandoned the cabinet to preside over as the General Secretary of the BJP and till January 2003, he administered as the National Spokesperson. Once again in the same year, he collaborated with the Union Cabinet and worked as the Minister of Commerce and Industry and Law and Justice till May 2004. In 2006 and 2012 from Gujarat, he re-elected as the member of the Rajya Sabha, for the third term. From the year 2009 – 2012, he perceived as the Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House. In May 2014, he became the Finance Minister besides to the Defence Ministry, but later it transferred to the former Goa CM Manohar Parrikar.