Born on August 16, 1968 in Hisar in Haryana to Gobind Ram Kejriwal and Gita Devi, Kejriwal cleared the IIT entrance exam in his first attempt just after school in 1985 and graduated as a mechanical engineer from IIT Kharagpur.
After completing his engineering, he joined Tata Steel in 1989 where he worked for three years. He resigned in 1992 and cracked the Civil Services Examination (UPSC) the same year in his first attempt.
His efforts in the enactment of the RTI Act to empower the poorest citizens of India won him the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006.
In February 2006, after resigning from the post of Joint Commissioner in the Income Tax Department, he became a full-time activist and started an NGO, Public Cause Research Foundation, with his award money as the corpus fund.
The 45-year-old came into limelight from the Jan Lokpal agitation led by his one time mentor Anna Hazare in 2011.
While they were feeling "betrayed" by the government when it rejected their draft, the Congress and leaders of other political parties challenged them to join politics, win elections and come to Parliament if they wanted to "fight the system from within", root out corruption and get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed.
The indefatigable activist decided to take a plunge into politics and formed "Aam Aadmi Party" on November 26 last year, after a formal split of Team Anna.
Many laughed at this move and others dismissed Kejriwal as a political greenhorn, but he and his party started poll preparation way ahead in April.
Thumping the three-time Chief Minister by a massive margin of 25,864 votes, Kejriwal became an MLA after contesting his very first elections and is now all set to be the Chief Minster tomorrow.
Governor Najeeb Jung will administer the oath of office and secrecy to him at Ramlila ground, in what seems to be poetic justice as he first shot to fame on this very venue in 2001 during the Janlokpal agitation.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
