Rajnath Singh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rajnath Singh
Singh in 2023
25th Union Minister of Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office 30 May 2019
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Nirmala Sitharaman
Deputy Leader of the House, Lok Sabha
In office 30 May 2019 – 4 June 2024
Speaker	Om Birla
Leader of the House	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Sushma Swaraj
Succeeded by	Nitin Gadkari
25th Union Minister of Home Affairs
In office 26 May 2014 – 30 May 2019
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Sushilkumar Shinde
Succeeded by	Amit Shah
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 16 May 2014
Preceded by	Lalji Tandon
Constituency	Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
In office 16 May 2009 – 16 May 2014
Preceded by	constituency established
Succeeded by	Vijay Kumar Singh
Constituency	Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
8th National President of Bharatiya Janata Party
In office 24 January 2013 – 8 July 2014
Preceded by	Nitin Jairam Gadkari
Succeeded by	Amit Shah
In office 31 December 2005 – 19 December 2009
Preceded by	L. K. Advani
Succeeded by	Nitin Gadkari
27th Union Minister of Agriculture
In office 24 May 2003 – 22 May 2004
Prime Minister	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Preceded by	Ajit Singh
Succeeded by	Sharad Pawar
19th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
In office 28 October 2000 – 8 March 2002
Governor	Vishnu Kant Shastri
Preceded by	Ram Prakash Gupta
Succeeded by	President's rule
34th Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways
In office 22 November 1999 – 27 October 2000
Prime Minister	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Preceded by	Nitish Kumar
Succeeded by	B. C. Khanduri
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office 26 November 2002 – 25 November 2008
Preceded by	Balwant Singh Ramoowalia
Succeeded by	Kusum Rai
Constituency	Uttar Pradesh
In office 3 April 1994 – 19 April 2001
Preceded by	Z. A. Ahmed
Succeeded by	Kalraj Mishra
Constituency	Uttar Pradesh
4th National President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha
In office 1988–1990
Preceded by	Pramod Mahajan
Succeeded by	Jagat Prakash Nadda
Personal details
Born	(1951-07-10) 10 July 1951 (age 73) Bhabhaura, Uttar Pradesh, India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Other political affiliations	Janata Party (1977–1980) Bharatiya Jana Sangh (before 1977)
Spouse	Savitri Singh ​ (m. 1971)​
Children	3, including Pankaj Singh
Residence	17, Akbar Road, New Delhi
Education	M.Sc. in Physics
Alma mater	Gorakhpur University
Profession	Politician lecturer

Rajnath Singh (Hindi pronunciation: [ɾɑːd͡ʒnɑːt̪ʰ sɪŋɡʱ]; born 10 July 1951) is an Indian politician. He has been the Defence Minister of India since May 2019. He was also the Deputy Leader of the House in Lok Sabha from 2019 to 2024.

Before this, he served as the Home Minister from 2014 to 2019. He was the first person born after India's independence to hold this important position. Rajnath Singh has also been the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) twice, from 2005 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2014. He is a senior leader of the BJP. He started his career as a volunteer for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Singh has also served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 2000 to 2002. He was a Cabinet Minister for Road Transport and Highways from 1999 to 2000. Later, he became the Minister of Agriculture from 2003 to 2004. He was also the President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the BJP's youth wing, from 1988 to 1990.

Early Life and Education

Rajnath Singh was born on 10 July 1951, in Bhabhaura village in Chandauli district, Uttar Pradesh. His parents were Ram Badan Singh and Gujarati Devi, who were farmers. He went to a local school for his early education. Later, he earned a master's degree in physics from Gorakhpur University. He was a top student in his class.

From a young age, he was inspired by the ideas of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He worked as a physics lecturer at K.B. Post-Graduate College in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh.

Beginning of Political Career

Joining Politics

Singh joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1964 when he was just 13 years old. He stayed connected with the organization. In 1972, he became the General Secretary of the RSS in Mirzapur. Two years later, in 1974, he entered politics.

Between 1969 and 1971, he was the organizing secretary for a student group called Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in Gorakhpur. In 1974, he became the secretary for the Mirzapur unit of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. This party later became the Bharatiya Janata Party. By 1975, at 24 years old, Singh was made the District President of the Jana Sangh.

JP Movement and Emergency

In the 1970s, Singh was influenced by the JP Movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan. He was arrested in 1975 during a time called the National Emergency. This was because he was involved with the JP Movement. He was held for about two years.

First Election Win

After being released from jail, Singh joined the Janata Party. This party was started by Jayaprakash Narayan. In 1977, he ran for elections in Mirzapur. He won and became a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Mirzapur.

Rising in the BJP

Singh became well-known in the state. In 1980, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was one of its first members. He became the State President of the BJP's youth wing in 1984. Then, he became the National General Secretary in 1986. In 1988, he became the National President of the youth wing. He was also elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

Early Ministerial Roles

Education Minister (1991–1992)

In 1991, the BJP formed its first government in Uttar Pradesh. Kalyan Singh was the Chief Minister. Rajnath Singh was appointed the Education Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He held this position for two years.

During his time as Education Minister, he introduced the Anti-Copying Act, 1992. This law made cheating in exams a serious offense. He also updated science textbooks and added Vedic mathematics to the school curriculum.

Modernizing Education

In 1991, Singh helped rewrite history textbooks for government schools. He also brought Vedic mathematics into the curriculum. These changes were seen as being influenced by his connection to the RSS, a Hindu nationalist group. As minister, he also promoted the use of Indian languages instead of English in teaching. However, he also said he valued knowing modern languages.

Union Transport Minister (1999–2000)

In April 1994, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha. This is the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. He worked on committees related to industry, agriculture, and human resource development. On 25 March 1997, he became the President of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit. In 1999, he became the Union Cabinet Minister for Surface Transport.

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (2000–02)

In 2000, Rajnath Singh became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He was elected as an MLA from Haidergarh twice, in 2001 and 2002. He took over from Ram Prakash Gupta. After his term, the state was under President's rule for 56 days, and then Mayawati became Chief Minister. He was the last Chief Minister of undivided Uttar Pradesh.

His experience as Education Minister and his support from the anti-corruption JP Movement helped him become Chief Minister. He was also close to Atal Bihari Vajpayee and had a very good image among the people. He was popular among the Rajput community in the state. Unlike some other leaders, he was known for being soft-spoken.

Key Actions as Chief Minister

As Chief Minister, he said that the Samajwadi Party favored certain groups for jobs. Singh wanted to end this unfairness. He tried to make the reservation system for government jobs fairer. He wanted it to help the most disadvantaged groups within the OBC and SC categories.

When Singh became Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh had a high crime rate. He focused on improving law and order. On 7 February 2001, Singh opened the DND Flyway, a major road connecting Delhi to Noida.

Resignation

In 2002, Singh resigned as Chief Minister after two years. At that time, the state BJP government did not have a majority. After his resignation, the state was under President's rule for 56 days. Then, Mayawati became Chief Minister for the third time.

Rise in National Politics

Union Agriculture Minister (2003–04)

In 2003, Singh was appointed the Minister of Agriculture. Later, he also became the Minister for Food Processing. This was under the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He worked on important projects like the Kisan Call Centre and the Farm Income Insurance Scheme. He also lowered interest rates on agriculture loans and set up a Farmer Commission.

National President of the BJP

First Term (2005–2009)

Rajnath Singh in Washington at a summit.

After the BJP lost the 2004 Indian general election, it became the main opposition party. After Lal Krishna Advani resigned, Singh worked to rebuild the party. He focused on core Hindutva ideas. He stated that a Ram Temple would be built in Ayodhya at any cost. He also praised Vajpayee's time as Prime Minister.

Singh also criticized the importance of the English language in India. He felt it prevented many Indians from participating in the economy and culture. He suspended Jaswant Singh from the party for praising Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Rajnath Singh had held many positions in the RSS and BJP. He became the BJP National President on 31 December 2005. He held this post until 19 December 2009. In May 2009, he was elected as a Member of Parliament from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.

A delegation of Rajnath Singh in Kerala with former Ministry of Defence of India, A. K. Antony and Alphons Kannanthanam.

Second Term (2013–2014)

On 24 January 2013, Nitin Gadkari resigned as BJP President due to some issues. Rajnath Singh was re-elected as the BJP's National President.

Singh played a big role in the BJP's campaign for the 2014 Indian general election. He announced Narendra Modi as the party's candidate for Prime Minister, even though some in the BJP disagreed. After the BJP won by a large margin, Singh resigned as party president. He then became the Home Minister.

He ran in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Lucknow. He was elected as a Member of Parliament.

Union Home Minister (2014–19)

Raj Nath Singh taking charge as the Union Minister for Home Affairs, in New Delhi on 29 May 2014.

Rajnath Singh holding a bilateral meeting with Russian delegation led by the Minister for Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Kolokolstsev, in Moscow

Rajnath Singh became the Union Minister of Home Affairs in Narendra Modi's first government. He took office on 26 May 2014. He had previously named Narendra Modi as the party's Prime Minister candidate. He served as Home Minister from 2014 to 2019. He is also the current Deputy Leader of Lok Sabha since 2019.

JNU Incident

On 14 February 2016, Singh made a statement about protests at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). He claimed that the "JNU incident" was supported by a terrorist leader. This statement came after some speeches were made at JNU on the anniversary of the hanging of Kashmiri separatists. There were protests against Singh's statement. He met with various leaders and assured citizens that his statement was correct. He also promised that anti-national acts would not be tolerated. Singh appointed a special team to investigate the matter.

In May 2016, he stated that illegal border crossings from Pakistan had decreased by 52% in two years.

Bharat Ke Veer App

On 9 April 2017, he launched the Bharat Ke Veer web portal and app with actor Akshay Kumar. This initiative helps raise funds for the families of soldiers who have died serving the country. It is a project by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Singh praised the app and was its first donor.

An official song for 'Bharat Ke Veer' was launched on 20 January 2018. Singh, Akshay Kumar, and other ministers were present.

Doklam Standoff

The Urban Development Minister of Nepal, Arjun Narsingh K.C. calling on the Rajnath Singh, in New Delhi

Doklam is an area disputed by Bhutan and China. In 2017, China tried to build a road in this area. The Indian army stepped in to help Bhutan, which caused tension between India and China. Singh assured the public that the matter would be resolved. He had talks with Chinese officials about relations between the two countries. Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi openly supported Bhutan. The tension later eased. On 9 October 2017, China said it was ready to maintain peace at the borders.

Bastariya Battalion

On 21 May 2018, he officially started the Bastariya Battalion. As Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh attended the passing out parade of this new battalion of the CRPF in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh.

Union Defence Minister (2019–Present)

Rajnath Singh taking charge as the Union Minister for Defence, in the presence of Shripad Naik, Minister of State for Defence, in New Delhi on 1 June 2019.

Rajnath Singh takes office as the Minister of Defense of India for the second consecutive term, in New Delhi on 13 June 2024.

Singh became the Defence Minister of India on 31 May 2019. He took over this role after Amit Shah became the Home Minister. As Defence Minister, Singh has focused on changing India's defense strategy. He aims to meet the increasing needs of India's forces, including higher budget requirements. This is especially important given the unstable situation in neighboring regions.

Rajnath Singh, along with Prime Minister Modi inaugurates Asia's largest helicopter manufacturing sector (HAL) at Tumkur, in Karnataka in 2023.

After becoming Defence Minister, he focused on increasing the nation's defence budget. He also worked on reducing the import of weapons from other countries. His goal is to make India an arms exporter with its own arms industry. He stated:

"India cannot put hand on hand in the issues of National Security. Now the time has come that India needs to emerge as major arms exporter."

Rafale Fighter Plane Deal

Rajnath Singh with the French Minister of Armed Forces, Florence Parly

The Dassault Rafale is a French fighter plane. A deal to buy these planes was signed in 2016 to make the Indian Air Force stronger. The Government of India agreed to buy 126 fighter jets.

The planes were received during Singh's time as Defence Minister. He personally went to France to receive the first Dassault Rafale on 8 October 2019. The first group of 5 fighter jets landed at Ambala Air Force Station.

India received the second group of Rafale jets on 29 July 2020. Singh said that "Those wanting to threaten India's territorial Integrity should be aware of India's new capability."

India-China Border Tension

Rajnath Singh talk during 2020 standoff between Indian and Chinese officials.

Since May 2020, there has been tension between the Security forces of India and China near the border in Ladakh. Singh met with officials of the Indian Army and visited the Ladakh Range. He also met with top military leaders to discuss the situation. After 20 Indian soldiers died during clashes in Galwan Valley, Singh met with the soldiers. He said he could not guarantee how far the tension would go. The situation was later managed.

On 30 August 2020, the People's Liberation Army again caused issues in the Ladakh area by sending many troops. Chinese leaders claimed India started the problem. Chinese General Wei Fenghe and Rajnath Singh held talks in Moscow on 4 September. On 10 September, the foreign ministers of China and India met. They agreed on five points to build trust. On 21 September, another meeting took place. For the first time, a representative from India's Ministry of External Affairs was present. After 14 hours of talks, both sides agreed to "stop sending more troops to the frontlines."

Singh assured citizens that the situation was under control and that there was nothing to worry about. He also said that fake news was spreading. He admitted that the Chinese Army had tried to cross the LAC.

Singh at the SCO defence ministers' meeting in New Delhi on 28 April 2023

On 28 April 2023, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu met with Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. This was the first visit by a Chinese Defence Minister since the 2020 border clashes.

On 10 December 2024, Singh held talks with Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov. Singh confirmed India's commitment to strengthening defense ties with Russia.

Agnipath Scheme

The Defence Ministry introduced a new army recruitment plan called Agnipath. This scheme recruits soldiers for all three forces below the rank of commissioned officers. The selected candidates are called "Agniveers". This plan is for a four-year term for candidates aged 18-24. There were protests against the scheme, with questions about the future of the candidates. The Ministry called it a long-needed reform to lower the average age of the military. The Delhi High Court also said it found no reason to stop the process, stating that the government brought this "In national Interest."

Military Exercises

He virtually opened the four-day Indo-Pacific Military Health Exchange (IPMHE) conference.

International military exercises called Vostok-2022 [ru] were held in Russia in September 2022. Countries like Russia, India, and China took part. On 28 April 2023, Singh met with Russian Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu.

Positions and Offices Held

Offices Held

Positions Held

Personal Life

Rajnath Singh married Savitri Singh on 5 June 1971. They have two sons and a daughter. His son, Pankaj Singh, is also a politician. He is a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, for the BJP. Singh is a religious Hindu and is known for his calm and soft-spoken manner.

See also

In Spanish: Rajnath Singh para niños

• Narendra Modi
• Amit Shah
• Yogi Adityanath

Images for kids

• Rajnath Singh pronounciation.ogg