Shri. Rajnath Singh,  Raksha Mantri, Government of India
Hon’ble Chancellor, DIAT (DU), Pune

Childhood & Education:Born on 10th July 1951 in a farmer’s family at village Babhora, Tehasil Chakia, District Varanasi (now district Chandauli) UP, to Shri Rambadan Singh and Srimati Gujarati Devi.

He received his basic education in the village and Subsequently, he completed his MSc Physics from Gorakhpur University UP. He worked as a lecturer of Physics at K.B. Post-Graduate College Mirzapur, UP.

Public & Social Life:He was a brilliant student since his student life. He became the RSS karyavah (General Secretary) of Mirzapur city in 1972. He also remained the organisational secretary of ABVP Gorakhpur division from 1969 to 1971.

He entered politics in 1974 and in 1977, he was elected as an MLA in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

He was elected MLC for Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council in 1988 and became Education Minister in 1991. During his tenure as Education Minister in UP, he established some landmarks by introducing the Anti-Copying Act and Vedic Mathematics in the syllabus. He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1994. On November 22, 1999, he became Union Surface Transport Minister. During this period he got the opportunity to initiate the NHDP (National Highway Development Programme), a dream project of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

On October 28, 2000, he became Chief Minister of UP and was twice elected as MLA from Haidargarh constituency in Barabanki.

On May 24, 2003, he became Union Minister of Agriculture and subsequently for Food Processing. During this period he initiated a few epoch-making projects like Kisan Call Centre and Farm Income Insurance Scheme.

He also embarked on ‘Bharat Suraksha Yatra’ which covered several States taking up the cause of increasing terrorist activities and threats to internal security. He laid emphasis on issues of public interest like spiralling prices of essential commodities, farmers’ grievances and other national issues. He has also written a book on Unemployment its Reasons and Remedies.

He became the BJP National President on December 31, 2005, a post he held till December 19, 2009. In May 2009, he was elected MP from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.

On May 26, 2014, Shri Rajnath Singh took oath as the Union Minister of India and worked as Union Minister for Home Affairs till 30.05.2019.

On May 31, 2019, Shri Rajnath Singh has been allocated portfolio of Union Minister for Ministry of Defence.

Under the 18th Lok Sabha Government, Union Minister Shri Rajnath Singh was again given the portfolio of Ministry of Defence.