Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Education, Qualifications & Biography

From a Senior Manager at PwC, London to becoming India’s first female Finance Minister; Nirmala Sitharaman has paved quite a remarkable journey as an economist and politician. Sitharaman is the Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister of India and was sworn in on 31st May 2019 and she is one of the three women in the Indian Cabinet. Before this monumental post, in 2017, Nirmala Sitharaman served as the Defence Minister for India as well. An influential figure in Indian and World economics; Mrs Sitharaman has been crowned as the 41st most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine in 2020. Let us look at some of the lessons we can learn from the historical journey of the first female finance minister India has ever seen! 

Who is Nirmala Sitharaman?

Nirmala Sitharaman is an Indian politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She is the current Finance Minister of India and also the Minister of Corporate Affairs under the Narendra Modi government.

Sitharaman has held a number of positions in the Modi government and was even appointed as India’s Defence Minister in September 2017, becoming the first full-time woman defense minister of India.

Nirmala Sitharaman was born to a middle-class family in Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu on August 18, 1959. Her father worked in the Railways while her mother was a homemaker and a great lover of books. She has her father’s disciplinary nature and her mother’s love for books. She spent her childhood in different parts of Tamil Nadu as her father’s job was transferable. Thus, traveling and being adaptive came naturally to her.

She completed her graduation from Seethalakshmi Ramasamy College, Tiruchirappalli, and obtained her master’s from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Her favorite subject was globalization and its impact on developing countries. It is this that led her to become the Commerce Minister of the Indian government.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Biography

Sitharaman is an Indian politician and the current Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs in the Government of India. Sitharaman belongs to Bhartiya Janta Party. She is the second Minister of Finance from BJP, with her party colleague Arun Jaitley holding the position from 2014-2019.

She is a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) from Karnataka state. She is a member of Bhartiya Janta Party .In 2014 general elections she was elected as Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka for the third time. On 5 July 2014, she was appointed as Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Textiles in Narendra Modi Government.

In 2017, She become the defence minister and Since 2019 handling finance and Corporate affairs.

Before being elected to Lok sabha, she was two time MLA, who won from Bangalore South Constituency in 2009 and 2013 Karnataka Assembly Elections. She also served as Chairperson of Standing Committee on Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry during 2009-2014 in 15th Lok Sabha.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Education

She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics at the Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College, Tiruchirapalli in 1980, Master of Arts degree in economics and M.Phil. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi in 1984.

Carrer of Nirmala Sitharaman

Nirmala Sitharaman’s political career began in 2006 when she became a member of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). In 2010, she was appointed as the national spokesperson of BJP.

In 2014, Nirmala Sitharaman joined Narendra Modi’s cabinet after BJP won the General Elections. She was made the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry by Modi. The same year, Nirmala Sitharaman was elected as a Rajya Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh.

In May 2016, she contested for and won a Karnataka seat in the Rajya Sabha elections. In 2017, Nirmala Sitharaman was named India’s Defence Minister by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This made her the first full-time female Defence Minister of the country.

She became the second woman to hold the office, after Indira Gandhi, who held the additional charge of the Ministry of Finance for a brief period in 1975. Nirmala Sitharaman is also the first full time woman Defence minister of India.

Awards and Recoginistion of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

• In 2006, she was awarded Outstanding Parliamentarian Award by Indian Parliamentary Group.
• On 26 May 2016, she became the Defence Minister of India.
• Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019 from Jawaharlal Nehru University
• Forbes Magazine has ranked her 34th among the 100 most powerful women in the world in 2019

Lessons from Life of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Individuality and Integrity

Nirmala Sithraman is an individualist with her own set of beliefs, goals and political ideals. In 2006, she decided to join the Bharatiya Janata Party while her husband, Parakala Prabhakar and his family who were Congress supporters, extended support to the Prajarajyam Party. The two accomplished Indian economists might be married but are often at loggerheads with each other when it comes to political ideologies or economic models. Their successful marriage and individualist aspirations teach us to be true to ourselves and not compromise on our integrity and beliefs. 

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Love for Academics    

An avid reader and scholar; Nirmala Sithramana’s passion for academics is an integral part of her upbringing. Sithraraman spent a large portion of her formative years in her town Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu. She studied and completed her bachelors in economics from Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College in Tiruchirapalli before moving to Delhi in 1984 to pursue masters in economics and later MPhil from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Sitharaman had even enrolled herself for PhD at JNU but didn’t complete her dissertation on India-Europe Textile Trade because she moved to London with her husband. Advocate for education and literacy, Sitharaman founded the Pranava school in Hyderabad after returning from London. 

Enthusiasm for Change

A picture from my days in JNU. pic.twitter.com/WRGxCmOnha

— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) July 14, 2013

Nirmala Sitharaman is the true advocate for change and betterment. This commitment towards change made her join student politics at JNU where she joined the Free Thinkers group and campaigned extensively for the party and remained an active member. Her passion for change is reflected in her career path especially as the director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies and her work as a member of the National Commission for Women.

Courageous 

Thank you for recognising India’s efforts during the pandemic. @PMOIndia @narendramodi had said “India recognises and values the work of GAVI, that is why it became a donor to GAVI while still being eligible for GAVI support.”

Looking forward to working with you, going forward. https://t.co/tvtfWKiCP5

— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) February 24, 2021

Heralding the Indian economy through some of the toughest times ever requires conviction and courage. The state of the Indian economy when Nirmala Sitharaman first became the finance minister was abysmal. The rampant corruption and widespread unemployment were the two biggest challenges and along came the nightmare of a pandemic. Without losing sight of the real challenges, the finance minister worked hard and announced a number of schemes to help the vulnerable sections of our society in these hard times. Even the latest Budget of 2021 underlines Sitaraman’s bold nature and commitment to growth and prosperity.     

Respect for Indian Culture

Often seen quoting Indian poets and thinkers like Rabindranath Tagore and Thiruvalluvar; the finance minister finds value and wisdom in the powerful and cultural works of Indian thinkers. Her love for Indian culture is not just limited to reading about Indian poets and thinkers but extends to promoting Indian local goods. Actively working towards the preservation of Indian heritage, the politician even proposed the setting up of the Indian Institute of Heritage and Tribal museum. She also announced the renovation and recreation of museums to promote tourism. 

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Globetrotter

Born and brought in Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu to Narayanan Sitharaman and Shrimati Savitri. As a child, Nirmala Sitharaman travelled extensively around Tamil Nadu because of the nature of her father’s job. Her love for travelling manifested in her as a child. For higher studies, she moved to Delhi and then to London with her husband as he pursued his PhD. As a high-ranking Indian politician, Nirmala Sitharaman has travelled and represented the Indian state in various countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, France, Russia and more at several international and regional conferences. 

A Pillar of Strength

Nirmala Sitharaman is a hard-working, passionate individual who started off as a salesperson at Habitat and worked her way up to the prestigious position of finance minister of India. This journey spells strength, conviction and thirst for self-development. Marking a mark in one of the most male-dominated fields is not easy; Sitharaman joined BJP in 2006 but it wasn’t until 2014 that she got her first break into the active political arena. Sitharaman has held prominent portfolios like Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry; the politician and economist proved her calibre and got the prestigious position as the Minister of Defence in 2017.  

Hopefully, you enjoyed reading about the political stalwart who is guiding the Indian economy through the world’s hardest recessions. These lessons from the fierce Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will surely help you stand out in your career! For more such amazing and inspirational reads, follow Leverage Edu on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and Facebook.