Nirmala Sitharaman, born on August 18, 1959, is an Indian politician and a prominent member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She has held several key positions in the Indian government and has been a prominent advocate for economic and financial reforms.

Nirmala Sitharaman was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She completed her schooling in Madurai and Tiruchirapalli. She pursued her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Seethalakshmi Ramasamy College in Tiruchirapalli and later earned a Master’s degree in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi.

Sitharaman began her career in the corporate sector and worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and later with the BBC World Service. She moved on to serve as a member of the National Commission for Women from 2003 to 2005.

In 2006, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and quickly rose through the ranks due to her competence and dedication. She was appointed as the party’s spokesperson in 2010.

Nirmala Sitharaman became a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, in 2016. She was appointed as the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry with independent charge in 2014, marking her entry into the Modi government. Later, she served as the Minister of Defence from 2017 to 2019, becoming the first woman to hold the post of Defence Minister of India.

In 2019, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term, she was appointed as the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, making her the first full-time female Finance Minister of India after Indira Gandhi.

Sitharaman has been instrumental in implementing several economic and financial reforms in India. She played a key role in the formulation and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), one of the most significant tax reforms in the country. As the Finance Minister, she introduced various measures and policies to boost the economy and support various sectors, especially during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nirmala Sitharaman is widely respected for her expertise in economic matters and her ability to handle complex financial issues. She continues to be a prominent figure in Indian politics, contributing significantly to the nation’s economic development and policy formulation.