- Sushma Swaraj, former external affairs minister and senior BJP leader, passed away at the age of 67 due to a cardiac arrest.
- Swaraj had a kidney transplant in 2016 and had opted out of contesting Lok Sabha polls earlier in 2019 for health reasons.
Remembering her Journey
- Sushma Swaraj was born on 14 February 1953 at Ambala Cantt, Haryana
- She was educated at Sanatan Dharma College in Ambala Cantonment and earned a bachelor’s degree with majors in Sanskrit and Political Science. She studied law at Punjab University, Chandigarh.
- Sushma Swaraj was an Advocate by profession. Swaraj started practice as an advocate in the Supreme Court of India in 1973 and started her career as the student leader in early 1970s.
- Sushma Swaraj began her political career with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in the 1970s. While a student, she was politically active notably as the leader of a pro-Hindu organization associated with the RSS that was strongly opposed to the government of then-prime minister Indira Gandhi.
- 1977: Sushma Swaraj became India’s youngest Cabinet Minister at the age of 25.
- 1979: Sushma Swaraj became the Janata Party’s State President in Haryana at the age of 27.
- In 1977, as a member of the Janata Party, Swaraj was elected to a seat in the legislative assembly of Haryana state.
- She served two terms in Haryana (1977–82 and 1987–90), during which she also was minister of Labour and Employment (1977–79) and of Education, Food, and Civil Supplies (1987–90) in the state government.
- Sushma Swaraj held the record of becoming the 1st woman spokesperson of the national – level political party
- The political member holds the credit of becoming the 1st woman Chief Minister of Delhi in 1998.
- Sushma Swaraj was the 1st woman Union Cabinet Minister and the first woman leader of opposition.
- She had been elected seven times as a Member of Parliament and three times as a Member of the Legislative Assembly.
- Sushma Swaraj was awarded the Best Speaker by Haryana State Assembly
- Sushma Swaraj was awarded the Best Parliamentarian award two times in 2008 & 2010.
- Swaraj served as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha (lower chamber of the Indian parliament) for five years (2009–14) and as minister of External Affairs (2014–19) in the BJP-led cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- The leader was a great orator, humble human being and a great Indian politician. She would be remembered for her excellent communication skill in the decades to come.
- In 2020 she was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honours.
SOME KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- India’s youngest Cabinet Minister at the age of 25
- 1st woman spokesperson of the national – level political party
- 1st woman Chief Minister of Delhi in 1998.
- 1st woman Union Cabinet Minister
- 1st woman Leader of Opposition
- Awarded as the Best Speaker by Haryana State Assembly
- Awarded as the Best Parliamentarian award two times in 2008 & 2010
