Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore AVSM OLY
Cabinet Minister, Government of Rajasthan
Incumbent
Assumed office 30 December 2023
Governor	Haribhau Bagade
Chief Minister	Bhajan Lal Sharma
Ministry and Departments	List Industry and Commerce Information Technology and Communication Youth Affairs and Sports Skill Planning and Entrepreneurship Sainik Welfare
Preceded by	Shakuntala Rawat
Member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 December 2023 (2023-12-03)
Preceded by	Lalchand Kataria
Constituency	Jhotwara
Majority	147,913 (47.75%)
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports
In office 3 September 2017 – 30 May 2019
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Vijay Goel
Succeeded by	Kiren Rijiju
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Information and Broadcasting
In office 9 November 2014 – 24 May 2018
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
In office 24 May 2018 – 24 May 2019
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Smriti Irani
Succeeded by	Prakash Javadekar
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 16 May 2014 (2014-05-16) – 6 December 2023
Preceded by	Lalchand Kataria
Succeeded by	Rao Rajendra Singh
Constituency	Jaipur Rural
Majority	332,896 (32.84%)
Personal details
Born	(1970-01-29) 29 January 1970 (age 55) Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Spouse	Gayatri Rathore ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	2
Alma mater	National Defence Academy, Pune Indian Military Academy, Dehradun
Military service
Allegiance	India
Branch/service	Indian Army
Years of service	1990 – 2013
Rank	Colonel
Unit	9th Grenadiers
Battles/wars	Kargil War, CI/CT operations in J&K
Awards	Padma Shri Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Khel Ratna Award
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Sport Sport Shooting Event(s) Double trap Medal record Men's shooting Representing  India Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games – 1 – Commonwealth Games 3 1 – Asian Games - 1 1 World Shotgun Championship - - 1 ISSF World Shooting Championship 1 1 2 Asian Clay Target Championship 5 - - Olympic Games Silver 2004 Athens Double trap Commonwealth Games Gold 2002 Manchester Double trap individual Gold 2002 Manchester Double trap pairs Gold 2006 Melbourne Double trap individual Silver 2006 Melbourne Double trap pairs Asian Games Silver 2006 Doha Double trap teams Bronze 2006 Doha Double trap World Shotgun Championship Bronze 2003 Cyprus Double trap individual ISSF World Shooting Championship Bronze 2006 Granada Double trap individual Silver 2004 Sydney Double trap individual Gold 2006 Cairo Double trap individual Bronze 2003 New Delhi Double trap individual Asian Clay Target Championship Gold 2003 New Delhi Double trap individual Gold 2004 Bangkok Double trap individual Gold 2005 Bangkok Double trap individual Gold 2006 Singapore Double trap individual Gold 2011 Kuala Lumpur Double trap individual
Minister of State 24 May 2018 – 24 May 2019: Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Information and Broadcasting 3 September 2017 – 24 May 2019:Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports 9 November 2014 – 24 May 2018: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is a well-known Indian politician and a former Olympic medal winner in shooting. He was also a Colonel in the Indian Army. Since December 2023, he has been a cabinet minister in the Government of Rajasthan. He looks after departments like Industry, Commerce, Youth Affairs, and Sports. Before this, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 2014 to 2023. He represented the Jaipur Rural area in the Lok Sabha.

Rathore is famous for winning a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the Men's Double Trap shooting event. This was a big achievement for India. He won 25 international medals in Double Trap Shooting competitions.

Before joining politics, Rathore served in the Indian Army for many years. He retired as a Colonel in 2013. After his army and shooting career, he also appeared in some advertisements and TV shows. In 2014, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and became an MP.

From November 2014, he served as the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting. Later, from 2017 to 2019, he was a Cabinet Minister with independent charge for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Early Life and Family

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was born on January 29, 1970, in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. His father, Colonel Lakshman Singh Rathore, was also an Army Colonel. His mother, Manju Raghav Bhondsi, was a teacher.

He studied at the National Defence Academy in Pune. He also attended the Infantry School in Mhow. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree. He also trained as an instructor for various weapons.

On February 16, 1997, he married Maj. Gayatri Rathore. She was a doctor in the Indian Army. They have two children, a son and a daughter.

Military Service

Rathore is a graduate of the 77th Course of the National Defence Academy. After that, he went to the Indian Military Academy. There, he received the "Sword of Honor" award. This award is given to the best all-round cadet. He also won the Sikh Regiment Gold Medal for being the best sportsman.

He joined the 9th Grenadiers (Mewar) Regiment on December 15, 1990. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1992 and captain in 1995. Rathore bravely fought in the Kargil War. He was promoted to major in 2000.

During his time in the Indian Army, he also worked in Jammu and Kashmir. He took part in operations against terrorists there. His regiment received special awards for their excellent work. He became a lieutenant-colonel in 2004 and a full colonel in 2009. He retired from the army in 2013.

Sports Achievements

Rajyavardhan Rathore had a very successful career in shooting. He specialized in the Double Trap event.

Commonwealth Games Success

At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Rathore won a gold medal. He set a new Commonwealth Games Record by hitting 192 out of 200 targets. This record still stands today. He also won a Team Gold Medal with his partner, Moraad Ali Khan.

He continued his success at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. He won another gold medal, defending his title. He also won a silver medal in the Team event with Vikram Bhatnagar.

Olympic and World Medals

Rathore became very famous when he won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This was a historic moment for India. It was India's first individual silver medal ever at the Olympics.

He also won gold medals at two World Shooting Championships. These were in Sydney in 2004 and Cairo in 2006. In 2003, he won a bronze medal at the World Championship in Cyprus. He also won a silver at the World Championship in Sydney in 2003. This was India's first medal in this event in nearly 40 years.

Asian Championships and Other Wins

Rathore won five gold medals and one bronze medal at the Asian Championships. He also secured a bronze medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. He won the Asian Clay Target gold medal four times in a row, from 2003 to 2006.

Between 2002 and 2006, he won a total of 25 international medals in Double Trap shooting. In 2011, he won another gold medal at the Asian Clay Target Championship in Kuala Lumpur. His score of 194 in that tournament matched the world record.

Political Journey

After retiring from the Indian Army on September 10, 2013, Rathore joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was elected as a MP in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. He represented the Jaipur Rural area.

On November 9, 2014, he became the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting. This was part of the Narendra Modi government. On September 3, 2017, he was appointed the Minister of Sports. In May 2018, he also became the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Information & Broadcasting.

In the 2019 Indian general election, he won the Jaipur Rural seat again. He won by a large number of votes and was elected to the Lok Sabha for the second time.

In November 2023, Rathore ran for the 2023 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election from the Jhotwara Assembly constituency. He won against Abhishek Chaudhary. After winning, Rathore resigned from the Lok Sabha. On December 30, 2023, he took an oath to become a cabinet minister in the Government of Rajasthan.

Awards and Recognitions

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has received many important awards for his service and sports achievements:

• 2005 – Padma Shri (a high civilian award in India)
• 2004–2005 – Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (India's highest sports honor)
• 2003–2004 – Arjuna Award (another major sports award)
• Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) – a military award for excellent service.
• He was chosen to be the flag bearer for India at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
• He was also the flag bearer for India at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
• 1990 – "Sword of Honour" (for being the best all-round officer cadet at the Indian Military Academy).
• 1990 – Sikh Regiment Gold Medal (for being the best sportsman at the Indian Military Academy).
• 1989 – "Blazer" (the highest sports award at the National Defence Academy, Pune).

Military Awards