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| Name: | Sushma Swaraj (Sushma Sharma) |
| Born: | 14 February 1952 Ambala Cantonment, Haryana, India |
| Died: | 6 August 2019 (aged 67) New Delhi |
| Political party: | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse(s): | Swaraj Kaushal (m. 1975–2019) |
| Profession: | Lawyer, Politician |
Sushma Swaraj is an Indian politician and the current Minister of External Affairs of India, in office since 26 May 2014. A leader of Bharatiya Janata Party, Swaraj is the second woman to be India’s Minister of External Affairs, being only after Indira Gandhi. She has been elected seven times as a Member of Parliament and three times as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. At the age of 25 in 1977, she became the youngest cabinet minister of north Indian state of Haryana. She also served as 5th Chief Minister of Delhi, for a brief term in 1998.
In Indian general election, 2014, she won from Vidisha constituency in Madhya Pradesh for a second term. She became the External Affairs Minister in union cabinet on 26 May 2014. She retained her Vidisha parliamentary seat by a margin of over 400,000 votes in the 16th Lok Sabha in the general election held in May 2014.
Sushma Swaraj: Early Life and Education
Sushma Swaraj (né Sushma Sharma) was born at Ambala Cantt in a Hindu Brahmin family on 14 February 1952 to Hardev Sharma & Shrimati Laxmi Devi. Her father was a prominent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh member. She was educated at Sanatan Dharma College of Kurukshetra University in Ambala Cantonment and earned a Bachelor’s degree with majors in Sanskrit and Political Science. She studied law at Punjab University, Chandigarh, and practised as a Supreme Court of India advocate from 1973. A state-level competition held by the Language Department of Haryana saw her winning the best Hindi Speaker award for three consecutive years.
Sushma Swaraj: Personal Life
Swaraj is married to Swaraj Kaushal, a senior advocate of Supreme Court of India and a criminal lawyer who served as Governor of Mizoram from 1990 to 1993. Swaraj Kaushal was a member of parliament from 1998 to 2004. The couple have a daughter, Bansuri, who is a graduate from Oxford University and a Barrister at Law from Inner Temple.
On 6 August 2019, Sushma Swaraj reportedly suffered a heart attack in the evening after which she was rushed to AIIMS Delhi, where she later died.
Top 5 quotes from Sushma Swaraj’s speech at the UNGA:
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addressed the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on September 29, 2018.
- It’s important to ask- who is behind this and who benefits from it? Terrorists don’t own banks or weapons factories, so let us ask the real question: who is that finances these terrorists, who arms them and provides sanctuaries?
- In our midst, there are nations that still speak the language of terrorism, that nurture it, peddle it, and export it. To shelter terrorists has become their calling card. We must identify these nations and hold them to account
- Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will always remain so. My firm advice to Pakistan is: abandon this dream
- India has decided to ratify Paris climate deal on October 2 and will play a leading role in controlling climate change
- Today the biggest challenge all of us face is the poverty prevalent in all corners of the world
Positions Held:
- 1977–82 and 1987–90 Elected as Member, Haryana Legislative Assembly.
- 1977–79 Cabinet Minister, Labour and Employment, Government of Haryana.
- 1987–90 Cabinet Minister, Education, Food and Civil Supplies, Government of Haryana.
- April 1990 Elected to Rajya Sabha (1st term).
- 1996 Member, Eleventh Lok Sabha (2nd term).
- 16 May – 1 June 1996 Union Cabinet Minister, Information and Broadcasting.
- 1998 Member, Twelfth Lok Sabha (3rd term).
- 19 March – 12 Oct 1998 Union Cabinet Minister, Information and Broadcasting and Telecommunications (Additional charge).
- 13 October – 3 December 1998 Chief Minister of Delhi.
- November 1998 Elected from Hauz Khas Assembly constituency of Delhi Assembly. Resigned from Delhi Assembly and retained Lok Sabha seat.
- April 2000 Elected to Rajya Sabha (4th term).
- 30 Sep 2000–29 Jan 2003 Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
- 29 Jan 2003 – 22 May 2004 Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.
- April 2006 Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (5th term).
- 16 May 2009 Elected to the 15th Lok Sabha (6th term).
- 3 June 2009 Elected as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
- 21 Dec 2009 Leader of the Opposition and replaced Lal Krishna Advani.
- 2014–2019 [26 May 2014 – 29 May 2019] Minister of External Affairs in the Union of India
