Arjun Ram Meghwal is a former Indian bureaucrat, politician and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On 3 September 2017, he was appointed as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India. He has served as the Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises (2019–2021), Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs (2016–2017), and Minister of State for Water Resources (2016–2017) of the Government of India. He became the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice on 18 May 2023, replacing Kiren Rijiju.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Arjun Ram Meghwal was born on Sunday, 20 December 1953 (age 69 years; as of 2022) in Kismatidesar village, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. Their zodiac sign is Sagittarius. He did his primary education from the government school of his village. He received his secondary education from Jawahar Jain Secondary School, Bhinasar. When he was in 8th class, he got married to Pana Devi. She continued her studies after marriage and obtained BA and LLB degrees from Government Dungar College, Bikaner. He studied LLB while working as a telephone operator. Then, he did MA in Political Science from the same college. Later, he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of the Philippines in the Philippines. After completing his formal education he started preparing for competitive examinations. He passed the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) examination in 1982 and served in various positions in the state service, before being promoted as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer in 1999.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 9″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye colour: black
family and caste
He was born in a Scheduled Caste (Dalit) family belonging to the weaver community.
parents and siblings
His father’s name is Lakhu Ram Meghwal and mother’s name is Hira Devi Meghwal; He died in 2014. He was a weaver by profession.
Heera Devi Meghwal, mother of Arjun Ram Meghwal
wife and children
On 12 May 1968, when he was in 8th class, he got married to Pana Devi in Nal Badi village. They have two sons, Ravi Shekhar Meghwal and Naveen Meghwal, and two daughters. Ravi Shekhar Meghwal was a Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officer who later became a politician and member of the BJP. Naveen Meghwal works as Director at ICCR in Bali.
Arjun Ram Meghwal with his wife and son Naveen Meghwal
Arjun Ram Meghwal son of Ravi Shekhar Meghwal
Other
His cousin Madan Gopal Meghwal is also an Indian National Congress (INC) politician. Madan Gopal Meghwal is the son of Arjun Ram Meghwal’s maternal aunt.
Madan Gopal Meghwal
religion/religious views
He follows Hindu religion.
Address
Their permanent address is ‘Sansad Seva Kendra’ C- 66, KK Colony, Zoia Market, Bikaner, Rajasthan.
signature/autograph
Signature of Arjun Ram Meghwal
livelihood
While preparing for competitive examinations, he started working as a telephone operator in the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department. He also contested and won the post of General Secretary, Telephone Traffic. While working as a telephone operator, he started preparing for competitive exams to get a government job. Despite clearing the written examination in the first attempt, he failed to clear the interview round for Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS), but he did not give up. In 1982, he passed the RAS examination in his second attempt. In 1994, he was recruited as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Hari Shankar Bhabhra, the then Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan. In the same year he became the state president of Rajasthan Industrial Service Council. After appointment as Additional Collector (Development) in Barmer, he won the election of General Secretary of Dr. Ambedkar Memorial Welfare Society, Rajasthan. He served at various ranks in the state service before being promoted as an IAS officer in 1999. As an IAS officer, he held various positions in the Rajasthan cadre including District Magistrate (Collector) of Churu, Rajasthan. Before the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Meghwal took voluntary retirement from the Indian Administrative Service to enter politics as a member of the BJP.
Arjun Ram Meghwal and Narendra Modi
In 2009, he contested and won the Bikaner Lok Sabha seat, defeating Congress candidate Rewat Ram Panwar by 19,575 votes. Subsequently, he became a member of the Consultative Committee, Foreign Affairs and a member of the National Core Committee, Scheduled Caste Morcha BJP. From 31 August 2009 to 20 June 2010, he served as a member of the Standing Committee on Defence. In 2010, he was appointed Vice President of BJP Rajasthan. In the same years, he also became a member of the National Executive of the BJP. Other positions he held include Member of the Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests (21 June 2010 – 31 August 2011), Member of the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice (31 August 2011), Anuvrat Convenors are included. Parliamentary Forum (2011 onwards), Member of the Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) (01 December 2011), Member of the Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (1 May 2012), and Member of the Committee on Absence of House Sittings Member from (21 April 2013).
Arjun Ram Meghwal with other BJP leaders during a meeting at the Bharatiya Janata Party state office.
In 2014, he contested and won the Bikaner Lok Sabha seat, defeating Congress candidate Shankar Pannu by 3,08,079 votes. On 12 July 2014, he became the Chief Whip of the Lok Sabha (BJP). He served in various positions during Modi’s first ministry, including Member of the Business Advisory Committee (13 June 2014 – 5 July 2016) and Member of the Standing Committee on Railways (1 September 2014 – 5 July 2016). From 15 September 2014 to 5 July 2016, he served as Member of the Ethics Committee, Member of the Consultative Committee, Ministry of External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs and Executive Member of the Indian Parliamentary Group. He served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Offices of Profit from 28 November 2014 to 5 July 2016 and as a member of the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit from 11 December 2014 to 5 July 2016. From 29 January 2015 to 5 July 2016, he served as a member of the General Purpose Committee. Committee, Member of the Governing Council of SSA and Member of the National Khadi and Village Industries Board. Other positions held by him include Member of the Estimates Committee (1 May 2015 – 5 July 2016) and Member of Sub-Committee-III, Estimates Committee (3 July 2015). In 2016, Meghwal was inducted into Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Council of Ministers, after which he served as Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs (5 July 2016 – 3 September 2017), Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Did. (5 July 2016 – 3 September 2017), and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs (3 September 2017).
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal speaking in Lok Sabha
In 2019, he was re-elected from Bikaner parliamentary seat, securing over 6.5 lakh votes and defeating his cousin Madan Gopal Meghwal of Congress. From 30 May 2019 to 7 July 2021, he served as the Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises in the second Modi ministry. On 18 May 2023, he assumed the position of Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice.
Kiren Rijiju (left) handing over the charge of Law and Justice Ministry to Arjun Ram Meghwal (right) on May 18, 2023
controversies
Claiming that “Bhabhi Ji” papad can keep Covid-19 away
In July 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Meghwal was criticized for promoting unscientific claims that “Bhabhi Ji” papad could help generate antibodies needed to fight COVID-19. Just two weeks after his statement, Meghwal found himself corona positive.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
He was awarded the Best Parliamentarian Award by the UPA government in 2013.
Arjun Ram Meghwal received the Best Parliamentarian Award (2013)
property and properties
movable property
- Deposits in Banks: Rs. 1,03,57,629
Immovable property
- Non-agricultural land: Rs. 5,00,000
- Residential Building: Rs. 4,00,000
Note: The given estimate of movable and immovable assets is as per the financial year 2018-2019. This does not include property owned by his wife and dependents.
net worth
His net worth in 2019 is Rs. 1,04,87,315. This does not include the total assets of his wife and dependents.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Born in a family of traditional weavers, Meghwal grew up weaving with his father. In an interview he said,
I was born in a traditional weaver family in Kismidesar village (Bikaner), where hardly any student of my age went to school. During my school and college days, I used to weave to support my family and my education.”
A photo of Arjun Ram Meghwal’s weaving
- From 2011 to 2014, he served as co-chairman of the Committee on Reservation in Judiciary under the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
- As BJP chief whip in the Lok Sabha in 2014, Meghwal used to cycle to Parliament wearing his trademark Rajasthani turban, kurta-pajama and sleeveless jacket to show off his Bikaneri identity. A banner on his bicycle, with BJP colors in the background, will announce that he is the MP from Bikaner.
Meghwal in his trademark Rajasthani attire cycling outside Parliament
- In 2013, he raised an anti-homosexuality bill in the Lok Sabha.
- Before the 2014 elections, Meghwal made headlines over the alleged “illegal” land deals of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra in Bikaner.
- His appointment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Council of Ministers in 2016 was seen as an attempt by the BJP to balance the caste equations in Rajasthan as the party appointed Nihal Chand Meghwal, MP from Ganganagar and Minister of State in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Had removed. Nihal Chand Meghwal was also from the SC community and was removed by the party as he was facing investigation related to a 2011 rape case.
- Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, seven-time MLA Devi Singh Bhati resigned from the BJP and campaigned against Meghwal, claiming that Meghwal was working against the BJP and dividing people on the basis of caste. Meghwal also faced competition from within the family ahead of the elections as the Congress had fielded his cousin Madan Gopal Meghwal, an IPS officer who had taken voluntary retirement to enter politics.
- As Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture, Meghwal strongly advocated the declaration of Mangarh Hill in Rajasthan as a monument of national importance. 1,500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters were martyred during a clash with British forces on 17 November 1913 at Mangadh Hill.
- Apart from being a politician, the MP is also known as a singer who sometimes sings spiritual hymns. He also sang a song on the 100th episode of PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat.
Arjun Ram Meghwal singing spiritual hymns at Hunar Haat Agra
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn