Who is Nirmala Sitharaman?
Nirmala Sitharaman (born 1959) is an Indian politician serving as the current Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs. She is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and has previously held the Defense Ministry portfolio. Nirmala Sitharaman was the first full-time female Finance Minister of India and the second woman Defense Minister after Indira Gandhi. She is an influential leader within the BJP and has presented several Union Budgets of India.
Wiki/Overview
| Full Name | Nirmala Sitharaman |
| Nickname | N/A |
| Profession | Politician |
| Date of Birth | 18 August, 1959 |
| Place of Birth | Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Age (as of 2024) | 64 |
| Father | Narayanan Sitaraman (Indian Railways Employee) |
| Mother | K. Savitri (Homemaker) |
| Spouse | Parakala Prabhakar |
| Education | Bachelors in Economics; Masters in Economics; M.Phil; PhD in Economics (left midway) |
| Alma Mater | Seethalaxmi Ramaswamy College, Tiruchirapalli; Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi |
| Organization | N/A |
| Known for | Being India’s first full-time female Finance Minister; Being the second woman to serve as India’s Defence Minister after Indira Gandhi; Presenting several Union Budgets of India as Finance Minister (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) |
| Residence | Plot No.M-6, Green Lands, Manchirevula Vill., Rajendra Nagar Mandal, Ranga Reddy Dist., Telangana |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Height | 5’4’’ |
| Weight | 60 Kg |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
Early life
Nirmala Sitharaman was born on August 18, 1959 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu into a middle-class Tamil Brahmin family. She completed her schooling from various places due to her father’s transferable job with the Indian Railways. She pursued Economics for higher education from prestigious institutes.
Career
Nirmala Sitharaman started her career as an assistant to an economist in the UK before working as a senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers and a brief stint at BBC World Service. She joined the BJP in 2008 and served as a spokesperson. In 2014, she became a minister in Modi’s cabinet, handling various portfolios like Commerce, Finance, Defence. She became the first full-time female Finance Minister in 2019 and has presented several Union Budgets. She oversaw the Balakot strikes as Defence Minister and is credited with major economic policies and reforms as the Finance Minister.
Education
Nirmala Sitharaman completed her Bachelor’s in Economics from Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College in Tiruchirappalli. She then obtained her Master’s and M.phil. degrees In Economics from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. She had also enrolled for a Ph.D. program in Economics but left it midway.
Family and Affairs
Nirmala Sitharaman comes from a middle-class Tamil Brahmin family. Her father worked for the Indian Railways. She met her husband Parakala Prabhakar, an economist and commentator from Andhra Pradesh, while studying at Jawaharlal Nehru University. They married in 1986 and have one daughter named Vangmayi. Her husband’s family had Congress leanings earlier.
Appearance
Nirmala Sitharaman has a petite built, standing at around 5 feet 4 inches tall. She has black hair and eyes. She is known for her preference for wearing traditional Indian sarees, especially handloom silk sarees, and for her simple appearance.
Achievements
Nirmala Sitharaman has had a remarkable political journey, rising from being a BJP spokesperson to holding key ministerial positions. As India’s first full-time female Finance Minister, she has presented multiple Union Budgets. She made history as the second woman Defence Minister after overseeing the Balakot airstrikes. Her tenure as Finance Minister has been marked by major economic reforms and policies. Nirmala Sitharaman has been ranked among the world’s 100 most powerful women by Forbes multiple times. She has received prestigious awards like the Distinguished Alumni Award from JNU and the Business Reformer of the Year award for her contributions.
Money Factor
| Net Worth | Rs. 2.63 crore (as of 2019) |
| Salary / Income | Rs. 1 Lakh + Other Allowances |
Trivia & Facts
- She worked as a salesperson at a home décor store called Habitat in London’s Regent Street early in her career.
- She is an avid reader and writes her own press releases and statements.
- She is a devotee of Lord Krishna and has a huge collection of his bhajans.
- She is a sari enthusiast and has a good collection of vintage silk and cotton Kanjivaram sarees.
- Her mother-in-law was a Congress MLA and father-in-law a minister in Andhra Pradesh government in the 1970s.
- She became the first minister to present the budget in the new Parliament building in 2024.
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