 "image")
Who is Hardeep Singh Puri
A diplomat turned politician, Hardeep Singh Puri is serving as Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas in the Modi government 3.0. Here is an overview of his background, political career, and contributions:
Early Life and Education: Hardeep Singh Puri was born on February 15, 1952, in Daryaganj, Delhi (India) to a family of refugees. He completed his education at the Hindu College, University of Delhi, and later pursued a Master's degree in Political Science from the University of Delhi. During his college days, he took a deep interest in student politics and was elected as Prime Minister of the Hindu College Parliament.
Diplomatic Career:
Diplomatic Career:
- A 1974 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Hardeep Singh Puri has served in several key positions in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Defence during a career spanning nearly 39 years.
- Hardeep Singh Puri was the first IFS Officer to be Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Defence.
- As the First Secretary (Political) at the Indian High Commission in Colombo, Hardeep Puri went to Sri Lanka’s Jaffna peninsula and met the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief V Prabhakaran in 1987 and succeeded in persuading him to hold talks with New Delhi. This followed the signing of the India-Sri Lanka Accord in July 1987.
- In 2002, he was appointed as a Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva and served till 2005.
Political Career & Ministerial Tenure: During his college days, he was actively involved in student politics as part of ABVP in Hindu College. After retiring from the IFS, Hardeep Singh Puri formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in January 2014. He was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) to the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Indian Parliament) in August 2017. In September 2017, he was inducted into the Council of Ministers as Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. In May 2019, he was given additional charge of Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Civil Aviation & Minister of State for Commerce and Industry. In 2020, he was elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh and in July 2021, he was appointed as Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Housing and Urban Affairs.
Author and Speaker: In addition to his political and diplomatic endeavors, Puri is a prolific author and public speaker, known for his extensive writings on global issues, urban development, and international relations.