ARUN JAITLEY –A PROFILE
Shri Arun Jaitley,
who assumed the office of the Union Minister of Law & Justice
and Commerce & Industry, here today, was first appointed Minister
of State for Information and Broadcasting (Independent Charge)
on October 13, 1999. He was also appointed Minister of State for
Disinvestment (Independent Charge), a new Ministry created for
the first time to give effect to the policy of disinvestments
under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime. He took over
the additional charge of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company
Affairs on July 23, 2000 following the resignation of Shri Ram
Jethmalani as the Union Cabinet Minister of Law, Justice and Company
Affairs. He was elevated as a Cabinet Minister in November 2000
and was made simultaneously the Minister of Law, Justice and Company
Affairs and Shipping. He was the first Minister of Shipping following
the bifurcation of the Ministry of Surface Transport. He demitted
the office of the Minister for Shipping with effect from September
1, 2001 and as Union Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs
on July 1, 2002 to join as a Secretary General, Bhartiya Janta
Party and its national spokesman.
Shri Arun Jaitley
was born on December 28, 1952. He passed his schooling from St.
Xavier School, New Delhi 1969-70. He graduated in Commerce from
Sri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi (1973). He passed his law
from the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi in 1977. During his
career as a student he was the recipient of several distinctions
for his outstanding performance both in academics and extra curricular
activities. He was President of Students Union of Delhi University
(1974). During the period of proclamation of Internal Emergency
(1975-77) when civil liberties were suspended, he was under preventive
detention for a period of 19 months. He was a prominent leader
of movement against corruption launched in the year 1973 by Lok
Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan. He was the Convener of the National
Committee for Students and Youth organization appointed by Lok
Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan.
He has been practising
law before the Supreme Court and several High Courts in the country
since 1977. He is a designated Senior Advocate, (equivalent to
Q.C. in England). He was the Additional Solicitor General of India
for the Government of India in the year 1990. He has authored
several write-ups on legal and current affairs. He has presented
a Paper on Law relating to Corruption and Crime in India before
the Indo British Legal Forum. He was a delegate on behalf of the
Government of India to the United Nations General Assembly Session
in June 1998 where the Declaration on Law relating to Drugs and
Money Laundering was approved. He is currently also a Member of
the National Legal Services Authority of India, a statutory authority
which organizes legal aid in the country. He has also been connected
with educational institutions. He was the Chairperson of the Governing
Body of Kamla Nehru College, Delhi (1993-1998). He is also currently
on the Board of Governors of the Bangalore based India Law School,
a leading institute in legal education in the country.
He is a Member
of the Bhartiya Janta Party which is currently the ruling party
in India. He has been a Member of the National Executive, i.e.
the principal decision making body of the party since 1991. He
also represents his party as spokesperson in various fora.
A very enlightened
person with a pleasant disposition, Shri Jaitley is married with
two children.
