Nirmala Sitharaman Biography | Life, Career, Education, Family, Age, and Salary

Nirmala Sitharaman

Nirmala Sitharam was born in a Tamil Iyenger family to Savitri and Narayanan Sitharaman in Madurai, Madras State (now Tamil Nadu). She graduated from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1984 with an M.A. and an M.Phil. She represents India as the Finance Minister in the Rajya Sabha.

The Union Budget of India 2023 was presented on February 1st by India’s Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman. When Nirmala Sitharaman presented the 2021 Union Budget of India, she created history because it was the longest Budget Speech ever made by an Indian Finance Minister that was 2 hours and 40 minutes. 

Since 2019, India’s finance minister has been Nirmala Sitharam. She was appointed India’s first full-time female finance minister on May 31, 2019. Prior to this, as of September 3, 2017, she served as India’s defense minister. She joined the Rajya Sabha in 2010, and since 2006, she has been allied with the Bhartiya Janta Party. She is a former economist turned politician from India.

Sitharaman joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2008 and rose fast through the ranks to become the party’s national spokesman. After winning the election to represent Karnataka as a state representative in 2014, she was selected to serve as the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.

She received a promotion in 2017 and was appointed as the country’s second woman defence minister after Indira Gandhi.

During her tenure as India’s defence minister, Sitharaman significantly influenced the nation’s defence policy by modernising the armed forces and cultivating stronger international ties. As India’s first full-time female finance minister, she made history when she was appointed Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs in 2019.

Nirmala Sitharaman expertise in the field of economics was instrumental in helping India implement a number of economic reforms and policies. She has also been praised for her work promoting women’s equality and encouraging their participation in both politics and the workforce. 

Her life and efforts continue to inspire millions despite the fact that her political accomplishments have solidified her position in Indian history.

Born18 August 1959
Age62 yrs
FamilyNarayanan Sitaraman (Father)Savitri (Mother)
EducationSeethalakshmi Ramaswami College, Tiruchirapalli (B. A. Economics)
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) (M.A. and M.Phil. in Economics)
Husband NameParakala Prabhakar
ChildrenParakala Vangmayi (daughter)
ProfessionFinance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman Biography

Nirmala Sitharaman Biography: Political Carrier

Nirmala Sitharaman Political Career
Nirmala Sitharaman Political Career

After four years of membership in the Bharatiya Janata Party, Nirmala Sitharaman was appointed the party’s national spokeswoman.

She was nominated to the prime minister’s cabinet as a junior minister after this political party won the 2014 elections.

She was chosen to represent Andhra Pradesh as the Rajya Sabha MP by June of the same year.

When the Rajya Sabha elections were held two years later, she ran for and subsequently won the Karnataka chair.

She was appointed on September 3, 2017, becoming the second woman to serve as defence minister in the nation. While Nirmala Sitharaman was the first woman to ever hold this position full-time, Indira Gandhi was the first woman to ever hold it on a temporary basis. But Nirmala Sitharaman’s positions of authority didn’t end here. She started working in the position on May 31, 2019, and eventually rose to become the nation’s first female finance minister. The parliament received her first budget proposal on July 5 of that same year.

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Nirmala Sitharaman’s Personal Life & Education

Nirmala Sitharaman Education Qualification
Nirmala Sitharaman Education Qualification

Nirmala Sitharaman was born on August 18, 1959, in Madurai, and she was nurtured in a Tamil Brahmin family. Sitharaman is married to Parakala Prabhakar, a retired Indian Administrative Service officer. Despite having divergent political views, the couple was married in 1986 and later had a daughter and the of nirmla sitharaman daughter name is Parakala Vangmayi.

Sitharaman tended to lean towards the BJP, but Parakala Prabhakar had a preference for the Congress. The then-chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, employed Parakala Prabhakar as a communications advisor.

Nirmala Sitharaman received her education in Madras and Tiruchirappalli. She Completed her graduation in Bachelor of Arts in economics from Tiruchirapalli’s Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College. Program in Economics with a focus on Indo-Europe trade; But later left this program and moved to London (when her husband secured a scholarship in London School of Economics) because of which she was unable to complete her degree.

After moving to London, Sitharaman worked as an assistant to an economist in the Agricultural Engineers Association. She then worked as a senior manager (research and analysis) with Price Waterhouse, London. In 1991, she returned to India and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She served in various party positions, including as the national spokesperson and the national treasurer.

In 2014, Sitharaman was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. She was appointed as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the Narendra Modi government. In 2016, she was appointed as the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs. In 2019, she was appointed as the Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs. Right now Nirmala Sitharaman is a member of the BJP’s National Executive Committee and the Parliamentary Board. She is also a member of the Standing Committee on Finance and the Consultative Committee on Commerce and Industry.

Nirmala Sitharaman Biography
Nirmala Sitharaman Biography

Nirmala Sitharaman Prior Carrier to Entering Politics

Nirmala Sitharaman was a salesperson for the London-based Habitat home furnishings retailer. She also worked as an economist’s assistant for the UK’s Agricultural Engineers Association. 

She has also held senior management positions with PWC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) and the BBC World Service in the department of research and development. In addition, she was a part of the National Commission for Women.

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Nirmala Sitharaman Non-political Career

Nirmala Sitharaman was worked in the corporate sector before politics. She was worked as a salesperson at home decor store and Habitat in London’s Regent Street. Also she served as an assistant to an economist at Agricultural Engineers Association in the UK. She additionally worked as a senior manager for PWC and for a brief period at the BBC World Service while she was in the UK. After returning to India, Sitharaman worked as an educationist. From 2003 to 2005, she served as a member of the National Commission for Women.

Sitharaman entered politics in 2006, when she was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. She served as the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry from 2014 to 2016. In 2016, she was appointed as the Minister of Defence, becoming the first woman to hold this position. In 2019, she was appointed as the Finance Minister of India.

Sitharaman is a qualified economist and has a Master of Arts degree in economics from the Jawaharlal Nehru University. She is also a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party in India.

Here is a list of Nirmala Sitharaman’s non-political career:

  • Salesperson, Habitat (London)
  • Assistant to Economist, Agricultural Engineers Association (UK)
  • Senior Manager, PWC (UK)
  • Brief stint at BBC World Service (UK)
  • Educationist
  • Member, National Commission for Women (2003-2005)
  • Rajya Sabha MP (2006-present)
  • Minister of State for Commerce and Industry (2014-2016)
  • Minister of Defence (2016-2019)
  • Finance Minister of India (2019-present)

Nirmala Sitharaman Awards and honors

Nirmala Sitharaman Awards and honors
Nirmala Sitharaman Awards and honors

Nirmala Sitharaman has received numerous awards and honors for her work in politics and economics. Some of her most notable awards include:

1. In 2019, JNU presented Nirmala Sitharaman with the Distinguished Alumni Award. 

2. Ranked 34th on Forbes’ list of the 100 most powerful women in the world (2019)

3. Ranked 36th on Forbes’ list of the 100 most powerful women in world (2022)

4. Named the most powerful woman in India by Fortune (2020)

5. Sitharaman has also been awarded honorary doctorates from several universities, including the University of Hyderabad, the University of Mysore, and the University of Madras.

6. One of the most influential ladies India has ever seen is Nirmala Sitharaman. Sitharaman is an inspiration to all women in the nation, having served as the country’s first full-time female Finance Minister and holding multiple posts in the Union Cabinet.

Nirmala Sitharaman Family Details

Nirmala Sitharaman Family
Nirmala Sitharaman Family

Below the table you can find out the Nirmala Sitharaman family member:

NameRelationship
Savitri SitharamanMother
Narayanan SitharamanFather
Parakala PrabhakarHusband
Parakala VangmayiDaughter
Nirmala Sitharaman Family

Frequently Asked Questions About Nirmala Sitharaman

Is Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman?

Yes, Nirmala Sitharaman is the current Finance Minister of India. She was appointed to the position on May 31, 2019. She is the first full-time female Finance Minister of India. She is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2014. She is also the Minister of Corporate Affairs.

Nirmala Sitharaman Union Budget 2023?

Budget Estimates 2023-24. Concluding the Part-One of the General Budget, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman said that the total receipts other than borrowings and the total expenditure are estimated at Rs 27.2 lakh crore and Rs 45 lakh crore respectively. The net tax receipts are estimated at Rs 23.3 lakh crore Check summary of the union budget 2023-24.

Who Is Nirmala Sitharaman Husband?

Nirmala Sitharaman’s husband name is Parakala Prabhakar. He is a political economist and a former communications advisor to the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Parakala prabhakar is also a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Prabhakar and Sitharaman met while studying at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi. They married in 1986 and have one daughter.

What Is the Nirmala Sitharaman Salary?

Nirmala sitharaman salary is Rs 50,000, with a sumptuary allowance of Rs. 3,000, a daily allowance of Rs. 62,000, and an MP allowance of Rs. 45,000. In total, her salary per month is Rs.1,60,000.

What Is Nirmala Sitharaman Age?

The Nirmala Sitharaman age is 63 years old as of today, June 11, 2023. According to her born date August 18, 1959.

What Is Nirmala Sitharaman Education Qualification?

  • Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College, Tiruchirapalli, in 1980.
  • Master of Arts and M. Phil. in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, in 1984.
  • Enrolled for a Ph. D. program in Economics with a focus on Indo-Europe trade.

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