Kiren Rijiju
Kiren Rijiju during 11 WHC 2018 Mauritius 001 (cropped).jpg
Rijiju in 2018
Minister of Earth Sciences
Assumed office
18 May 2023 (2023-05-18)
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded byJitendra Singh
34th Minister of Law and Justice
In office
7 July 2021 (2021-07-07) – 18 May 2023
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded byRavi Shankar Prasad
Succeeded byArjun Ram Meghwal
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports
In office
30 May 2019 – 7 July 2021
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded byCol. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
Succeeded byAnurag Thakur as Cabinet Minister
Minister of State for Minority Affairs
In office
30 May 2019 – 7 July 2021
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
MinisterMukhtar Abbas Naqvi
Preceded byVirendra Kumar
Succeeded byJohn Barla
Minister of State for Home Affairs
In office
26 May 2014 – 30 May 2019
Served along with H. P. Chaudhary (2014-16) and H. G. Ahir (2016-19)
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
MinisterRajnath Singh
Preceded byR. P. N. Singh
Succeeded byNityanand Rai, G. Kishan Reddy
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Assumed office
16 May 2014
Preceded byTakam Sanjoy
ConstituencyArunachal West
In office
2004 (2004)–2009 (2009)
Preceded byJarbom Gamlin
Succeeded byTakam Sanjoy
ConstituencyArunachal West
Personal details
Born (1971-11-19) 19 November 1971 (age 51)[1]
Nafra, West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
SpouseJoram Rina Rijiju
Residence(s)9, Krishna Menon Marg, New Delhi – 110011
EducationB.A., LL.B[2]
Alma materDelhi University
Websitesites.google.com/site/kirenrijiju/

Kiren Rijiju (born 19 November 1971) is an Indian politician from Arunachal Pradesh who is the Cabinet Minister of Earth Sciences in Government of India in the Modi ministry since 2023 and a member of the Lok Sabha representing Arunachal West Lok Sabha constituency since 2014 and from 2004 to 2009. Previously, he served as the Minister of State for Home Affairs (India) from 2014 to 2019 and the Minister of State for Minority Affairs from 2019 to 2021 and the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports from 2019 to 2021. As a law minister Kiran's term was highly controversial as he used to criticize the judiciary day in and day out due to which he was demoted to Earth Science minister.[3]He was the former 34th Cabinet Minister of Law and Justice in the Modi ministry from 2021 to 2023.

Early life

Rijiju was born on 19 November 1971 at Nakhu near Nafra in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh in India. He is the son of Rinchin Kharu and Chirai Rijiju. His father was the first pro-tem speaker of Arunachal Pradesh who gave oath to the Members of the First State Legislative Assembly.[4]

He was a good athlete during his college days and as of February 2023 is seen playing Football and Badminton.

Education

Rijiju did his graduation degree (B.A.) from Hansraj College, University of Delhi. Further, in 1998, he did his graduate degree in law (LL.B) from Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi.[5][6]

Political career

Kiren Rijiju is considered the face of Bharatiya Janata Party in North East India. He served as a Member of Khadi and Village Industries Commission from 2000 to 2005. Rijiju was appointed as India's Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports in 2019. He occasionally writes articles on security and socio-economic issues.[7][8]

In the 2004 Indian general election, he was elected as a member of the 14th Lok Sabha, representing the constituency of Arunachal West in the Indian Parliament, which is the fourth largest Parliamentary constituency (in terms of Area) in India. He was one of the most articulate and outspoken Parliamentarians in the 14th Lok Sabha.[citation needed] Rijiju entered the Lok Sabha for the second time in 2014 from the Arunachal (West) constituency of Arunachal Pradesh in India.[9]

During 2004-09, Rijiju was placed among the top 5 opposition MPs reviewed by their peers in the treasury bench based on high benchmark in debates, discussions, and decorum and was placed among stalwarts like L.K. Advani. He was also chosen as the best young MP by many[which?] national news agencies and magazines.[4]

In the 2009 general election, Rijiju was defeated by a very thin margin of 1314 votes by the Congress candidate under a very controversial circumstances which witnessed massive violence amidst allegation of widespread polling booth capturing by Indian National Congress Party.[10]

In the 2014 general election, Rijiju was again elected as a Member of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha, representing the Arunachal West constituency. Rijiju defeated Takam Sanjoy of the Indian National Congress by a margin of 43,738 votes.[11] Immediately he found a place in Narendra Modi's first Council of Ministers, as Minister of State for Home.[12][13]

In 2017, he said "Rohingyas are illegal immigrants and stand to be deported". He also stated that "India has absorbed maximum number of refugees in the world so nobody should give India any lessons on how to deal with refugees".[14][15][16][17]

Kiren Rijiju again got elected in 2019 by highest ever record margin of votes and became Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports and Minister of State for Ministry of Minority Affairs.[18]

He served as Cabinet Minister of Law and Justice in Second Modi ministry from 2021 to 2023. On 18th May 2023, he was assigned the portfolio of Ministry of Earth Sciences.[19]

Personal life

He married Joram Rina Rijiju in 2004.[20] She is a graduate from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi and is a gold medalist from Arunachal University. She is an Associate Professor teaching history at Dera Natung Government College, Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ "Kiren Rijiju, a youth leader from Arunachal Pradesh". Ibn Live. Press Trust of India. 26 May 2014. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  2. ^ "KIREN RIJIJU BIOGRAPHY AND 2014 ELECTION RESULT". Compare Infobase Limited. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  3. ^ "Cabinet Reshuffle: The full list of Modi's new ministers and what they got". The Economic Times. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b C. B. Namchoom. "The saffron man, now playing the Jai Ho tune". eastern panorama. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  5. ^ "Amid appointments impasse, virtual courts, new Law Minister Kiren Rijiju signs in". Indian Express. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Campus Law Centre DU". DU. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  7. ^ "BJP's Rijiju defeats sitting MP Sanjoy in Arunachal West seat". Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  8. ^ "Constituencywise-All Candidates". ECI. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  9. ^ "Kiren Rijiju: MoS of Home Affairs". New Delhi: IndiaToday.in. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  10. ^ "Sitting Arunachal MP Sanjoy exposes dishonesty of Congress-turned BJP candidate Rijiju". Business Standard India. 2 April 2014.
  11. ^ "GENERAL ELECTION TO LOK SABHA TRENDS & RESULT 2014". ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA. 17 May 2014. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  12. ^ "Kiren Rijiju one of the 45 ministers in Modi's Team". Arunachal Chakma News. 26 May 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  13. ^ "Rijiju offered CM position". The Economic Times. 4 March 2016.
  14. ^ "Rohingyas to be deported, don't preach India on refugees: Kiren Rijiju - The Economic Times". The Economic Times. 28 September 2017. Archived from the original on 28 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.((cite news)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  15. ^ "'Rohingyas to be deported, don't preach India on refugees', says Kiren Rijiju | The Indian Express". 29 September 2017. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  16. ^ "Tender public apology resign: APYB to Rijiju". Arunachal Observer. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  17. ^ Uttam, Kumar (13 February 2017). "Kiren Rijiju does it again, says Hindu population reducing as they never convert". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  18. ^ "PM Modi allocates portfolios. Full list of new ministers", Live Mint, 31 May 2019
  19. ^ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/union-cabinet-reshuffle-arjun-ram-meghwal-appointed-law-minister-kiren-rijiju-assigned-ministry-of-earth-sciences/articleshow/100319296.cms
  20. ^ "Fourteenth Lok Sabha: Members Bioprofile". Lok Sabha. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
Lok Sabha Preceded byJarbom Gamlin Member of Parliamentfor Arunachal West 2004–2009 Succeeded byTakam Sanjoy Preceded byTakam Sanjoy Member of Parliamentfor Arunachal West 2014–present Incumbent Political offices Preceded byRajyavardhan Singh RathoreMinister of State withIndependent charge Minister of Youth Affairs and SportsMinister of State withIndependent charge 2019–2021 Succeeded byAnurag Thakur Preceded byRavi Shankar Prasad Minister of Law and Justice 2021–present Incumbent