Arun Jaitley, Politician, Lawyer
Politician, Lawyer

Arun Jaitley

Born 28 December 1952 · Delhi — Died 24 August 2019

Led the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India as Finance Minister.

Arun Jaitley was an Indian politician and attorney. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Jaitley served as the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of the Government of India from 2014 to 2019. Jaitley previously held the cabinet portfolios of Finance, Defence, Corporate Affairs, Commerce and Industry, and Law and Justice in the Vajpayee government and Narendra Modi government.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Arun Jaitley was detained for 19 months during India’s Emergency (1975–77) as a student leader opposing suspended fundamental rights.

The Story

1
In 1974, Arun Jaitley became President of the Delhi University Students’ Union amid political turbulence, just a year before his 19-month detention during the Emergency (1975–77) for opposing suspended fundamental rights.
2
🌟 By January 1990, Jaitley was designated Senior Advocate at Delhi High Court, marking his rise in legal circles after practicing law since 1977 and serving as Additional Solicitor General in 1989 during the Bofors scandal investigations.
3In 1991, he joined BJP’s National Executive, later becoming Minister of State for Disinvestment in 1999, a new ministry aimed at privatizing public sector units under Vajpayee’s government.
4🚀 Between 2014 and 2019, as Finance Minister, Jaitley engineered the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax, unifying India’s indirect tax system for the first time since independence.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—
Padma Vibhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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In 1974, Jaitley was elected President of Delhi University Students’ Union, a pivotal role just before he was detained for 19 months during the Emergency (1975–77).

🖼️

Through the Years

7 photographs from the archives
Arun Jaitley shaking hands with MD of Hind Agro Industry Ltd at APEDA Exports Award in New Delhi (2003).
Arun Jaitley shaking hands with MD of Hind Agro Industry Ltd at APEDA Exports Award in New Delhi (2003).
2003
Arun Jaitley at an interactive session on Exim Policy organised by FIEO in New Delhi (2003).
Arun Jaitley with European Commission Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy at WTO meeting in New Delhi (2004).
Arun Jaitley addressing a Post Budget Press Conference in New Delhi (2018).
Arun Jaitley as Finance Minister at Gujarat National Law University event.

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Born in Delhi to a lawyer father
Arun Jaitley was born into a Punjabi Hindu Brahmin family in New Delhi; his father Maharaj Kishen Jaitley was a practicing lawyer.
1952
📚
Education
Elected Delhi University Students' Union President
Jaitley rose as a student leader at Delhi University, becoming President of the Students Union and leading anti-Emergency protests.
1974
🌟
Other
Detained During Emergency for 19 Months
Under preventive detention laws during the Emergency, Jaitley was imprisoned for his political activism opposing the suspension of fundamental rights.
1975
⚡
Career
Appointed Additional Solicitor General
Joined the V.P. Singh government legal team, playing a role in the Bofors scandal investigations.
1989
⚡
Career
Joined BJP National Executive
Jaitley became a member of BJP's National Executive, marking his ascent in the party’s leadership.
1991
⚡
Career
Appointed Finance Minister
Joined Narendra Modi's cabinet as Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, initiating GST and demonetisation reforms.
2014
⚡
Career
Merged Railway Budget with Union Budget
Ended a 92-year-old tradition by combining the Railway Budget with the general budget of India.
2017
⚡
Career
Declined second Modi Cabinet due to health
Cited health issues for not joining the second Modi Cabinet; passed away the next year.
2019
🏅
Award
Posthumously awarded Padma Vibhushan
Received India’s second highest civilian award in Public Affairs after his death.
2020
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

Arun Jaitley served as Additional Solicitor General in 1989 and contributed to the legal paperwork during the Bofors scandal investigation involving high-profile political figures.

02 / 04
👤PERSONAL

He represented clients across political parties from INC’s Madhavrao Scindia to BJP’s L.K. Advani, showcasing his non-partisan legal practice.

03 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

In 2017, Jaitley oversaw the merger of the Railway Budget with the Union Budget, ending a 92-year-old separate financial tradition dating back to British India.

No quote recorded for Arun Jaitley yet.

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture: Remembering Former Union Minister's Contribution To India
More from this archive
Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture: Remembering Former Union Minister's Contribution To India
01
Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture: Remembering Former Union Minister's Contribution To India
Arun Jaitley Political Career: A journey from ABVP President to Finance Minister of India
02
Arun Jaitley Political Career: A journey from ABVP President to Finance Minister of India
IN CONVERSATION- ARUN JAITLEY
03
IN CONVERSATION- ARUN JAITLEY
Politics Uncut: Arun Jaitley - Part 1
04
Politics Uncut: Arun Jaitley - Part 1
Arun Jaitley, Indian politician on disinvestment policy in India
05
Arun Jaitley, Indian politician on disinvestment policy in India
Express Adda with Arun Jaitley: Part I
06
Express Adda with Arun Jaitley: Part I
Tehelka case: Secularism no defence in rape trial, Arun Jaitley tells NDTV
07
Tehelka case: Secularism no defence in rape trial, Arun Jaitley tells NDTV
Arun Jaitley on the ban on BBC documentary India's Daughter
08
Arun Jaitley on the ban on BBC documentary India's Daughter
Express Adda with Arun Jaitley: Part I
09
Express Adda with Arun Jaitley: Part I
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley passes away at the age of 66
10
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley passes away at the age of 66

🌱 What changed because of them

Arun Jaitley transformed India's tax landscape by architecting the Goods and Services Tax, creating a unified market across states. His legal acumen guided key anti-corruption investigations like Bofors and shaped corporate law reforms including the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. His leadership in merging the Railway Budget with the Union Budget ended a colonial-era financial tradition, streamlining government fiscal policy.

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