Arun Jaitley - From Student Politician To India's Finance Minister, A Look At His Career

Former Union Minister Arun Jaitley passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi on Saturday. He passed away at the age of 66 years.

Jaitely had undergone surgeries to treat his cancer and had been admitted to the ICU on August 9.

Jaitley¡¯s demise comes a few weeks after the death of the former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on August 6. Both, Jaitely and Swaraj had opted out of contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections following their prolonged illness.

Jaitley, a lawyer by profession, had been an important part in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet in the first term. He held the finance and defence portfolios, and often acted as the chief troubleshooter of the government.

He is survived by his wife Sangeeta Jaitley to whom he had been married since 1982. They have two children, Sonali Jaitley Bakshi and Rohan Jaitley, both lawyers.

Here¡¯s a look at Arun Jaitley¡¯s political journey and his life.

1. Student politics.

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Arun Jaitley was born on 28 December 1952 in Delhi. He went on to earn a degree in commerce from Delhi University's Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in 1973 and an LLB degree from the same university's Faculty of Law in 1977. He was a member of ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) and became the president of Delhi University Student's Union (DUSU) in 1974.

Jaitley was a member of the Loktantric Yuva Morcha during the 1977 elections, in which Indira Gandhi's Congress was wiped out across North India.

2. Lawyer by profession.

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Jaitley started his legal practice after earning his law degree in 1977. He was a senior advocate at the Delhi High Court in 1990. He also practiced at the Supreme Court and other High Courts. He was appointed as Additional Solicitor General by the VP Singh government in 1989 and was part of the team assisting the investigation into the Bofors scandal. He also represented India at the United Nations General Assembly Session in 1998.

3. Key face in the Modi government.

He was one of the key faces of the Narendra Modi government in the first term. During this government, he held key ministries ranging from Finance, Corporate Affairs, Defence and Information & Broadcasting. He was in the Modi cabinet with other leaders like Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh, Manohar Parrikar, Ravi Shankar Prasad and other politicians.

He was also part of the Union Cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the 2004-09 NDA government, first as an MoS (Independent Charge) for I&B ministry.

4. Brought India under one-tax regime.

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On July 1, 2017, Arun Jaitley introduced Goods and services Tax (GST). The tax replaced existing multiple flowing taxes levied by the central and state governments.

He will be missed. May his soul rest in peace.