India’s External Affairs Minister under the BJP-led NDA regime turns 69 today. She is one of the most tech savvy ministers in the Modi government who is always available for the people in need and is only a Tweet away from you sharing your troubles. Swaraj is often counted as one of the top genius diplomatic minds across politicians in the whole world. Earlier in November, 2018 the Vidisha MP had shared that she would not contest the upcoming General Elections owing to her health reasons.
On her 69th birthday, we bring some of the lesser known facts about Sushma Swaraj
- Sushma was born on February 14, 1952 in Ambala Cantt, Haryana to Hardev Sharma and Shrimati Laxmi Devi. her parents belonged to Dharampura area, Lahore Pakistan.
- She received her education from Sanatan Dharma College, Ambala Cantonment before earning a Bachelor’s degree with Sanskrit and Political Science as majors. She later studied law at Punjab University, Chandigarh.
- At the SD College Ambala Cantt she was given the title of the Best Cadet, NCC for three consecutive years.
- She won the best Hindi Speaker award for three years in a row at a state-level competition organised by the Language Department of Haryana.
- Her name before marriage was Sushma Sharma. She married a fellow advocate at the Supreme Court, Swaraj Kaushal.
- In the year 1977, she became the youngest cabinet minister of Haryana at age of 25 years.
- First female Spokesperson of a national political party in India.
- She became the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi and also BJP’s first female CM.
- In 2004, Swaraj became the female MP to be honoured with the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award. 9 years later, in 2013, Dr Najma Akbarali Heptulla the now Governor of Manipur was bestowed the award, making her the second woman MP with the honor.
- Part of George Fernandes’ Legal team in Baroda Dynamite case.
That is right. We defended George Fernandes in Baroda Dynamite case during emergency. @HedeParag
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) May 28, 2016
- In 1999 Lok Sabha elections, she contested against Sonia Gandhi for the Bellary, Karnataka constituency, she came loss by margin of just 7%. To Gandhi’s 4,14,650 Swaraj registered 3,58,550 votes in her favour.
Sarojini Naidu: Lesser known facts about the Nightingale of India
Mohammad Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi – The Tiger of Indian Cricket
