Yashwant Sinha

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Yashwant Sinha

| image =Yashwant Sinha as External Affairs Minister.jpg

| caption = Sinha as External Affairs Minister

| office1 = President of Atal Vichar Manch

| term_start1 = 2024

| term_end1 =

| president2 = Mamata Banerjee

| office2 = Vice President of All India Trinamool Congress

| term_start2 = 15 March 2021

| term_end2 = 2022

| office3 = Union Minister of External Affairs

| primeminister3 = Atal Bihari Vajpayee

| term_start3 = 1 July 2002

| term_end3 = 22 May 2004

| predecessor3 = Jaswant Singh

| successor3 = Natwar Singh

| spouse = {{marriage|Nilima Sinha|1961}}

| children = {{hlist|Jayant|Sumant|Sharmila}}

| office4 = Union Minister of Finance

| term_start4 = 5 December 1998

| term_end4 = 1 July 2002

| primeminister4 = Atal Bihari Vajpayee

| predecessor4 = P. Chidambaram

| successor4 = Jaswant Singh

| office5 =

| term_start5 = 10 November 1990

| term_end5 = 5 June 1991

| primeminister5 = Chandra Shekhar

| predecessor5 = Madhu Dandavate

| successor5 = Manmohan Singh

| office6 = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha

| term_start6 = 22 May 2009

| term_end6 = 16 May 2014

| predecessor6 = Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta

| successor6 = Jayant Sinha

| constituency6 = Hazaribagh, Jharkhand

| term_start7 = 13 March 1998

| term_end7 = 22 May 2004

| predecessor7 = M. L. Vishwakarma

| successor7 = Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta

| constituency7 = Hazaribagh, Jharkhand

| office8 = Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha

| term_start8 = 2004

| term_end8 = 2009

| constituency8 = Jharkhand

| term_start9 = 1988

| term_end9 = 1994

| constituency9 = Bihar

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1937|11|6}}

| birth_place = Patna, Bihar Province, British India
(present-day Bihar, India){{cite web|url=http://www.indianembassy.org/special/cabinet/sinha.htm |title=Yashwant Sinha, a profile:Finance Minister, Government of India |access-date=30 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212732/http://www.indianembassy.org/special/cabinet/sinha.htm |archive-date=27 September 2007 }}

| residence = 6, Kushak Road, New Delhi

| nationality = Indian

| footnotes =

| occupation = {{hlist|Bureaucrat|politician|administrator}}

| party = Atal Vichar Manch (2022–)

| otherparty = Janata Dal (1988–1991)
Bharatiya Janata Party (1992–2018)
Bhartiya Sab Log Party (2020–2021)
Trinamool Congress (2021–2022)

| awards = Officier de la Légion d’Honneur (2015)

| death_date =

| death_place =

}}

Yashwant Sinha ({{IPA|hns|jəʃˈʋən̪t̪ sɪnˈɦɑː}}, born 6 November 1937) is an Indian politician and retired Indian Administrative Service officer. He served as the Minister of Finance from 1990 until 1991 under Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and again from March 1998 to July 2002 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He also served as the Minister of External Affairs from July 2002 until May 2004.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2077483.stm |work=BBC News| title=Indian government reshuffled |access-date=30 September 2007 |date=1 July 2002}} He was a senior leader of the BJP before he left the party on 21 April 2018.{{Cite web|title=Yashwant Sinha Quits BJP, Says India's Democracy Is In Danger|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/yashwant-sinha-quits-bjp-says-taking-sanyas-from-party-politics-1840800|website=NDTV.com|access-date=30 April 2020}} In 2022, he was the Presidential candidate of India for the opposition.{{Cite news |title=Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha files nomination for Presidential poll |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/opposition-candidate-yashwant-sinha-files-nomination-for-presidential-poll/articleshow/92486163.cms |access-date=2024-05-09 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}

Early life

Sinha was born in a Kayastha family in Patna, Bihar.{{Cite book|last=Yashwant.|first=Sinha|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1109811023|title=Relentless : an Autobiography of Yashwant Sinha.|date=2019|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt. Ltd|isbn=978-93-86950-36-9|oclc=1109811023}} He graduated from University of Patna in BA Hons(History). He received his master's degree in political science in 1958. Subsequently, he taught the subject at the University of Patna until 1962.

Civil Service career

After securing All India rank 12th in the UPSC Civil Services Examination.{{Cite web|title=From IAS officer to key Advani aide, Yashwant Sinha is now Opposition's presidential candidate|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/all-you-need-to-know-about-yashwant-sinha-opposition-face-presidential-polls-1965150-2022-06-21|website=India Today|language=en}}

Sinha joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1960 and spent over 24 years holding important posts during his service tenure. He served as Sub-Divisional Magistrate and District Magistrate for 4 years. He was Under Secretary and Deputy Secretary in the Finance Department of the Bihar Government for 2 years after which he worked in the Ministry of Commerce as Deputy Secretary to the Government of India.{{Cite web|last=Prasad, Anuja|first=Gireesh Chandra|date=2018-12-31|title=I know I am putting the political career of my son in jeopardy: Yashwant Sinha|url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/hXZFRY8fNo8WjL29BhxNvO/I-know-I-am-putting-the-political-career-of-my-son-in-jeopar.html|access-date=2021-07-02|website=mint|language=en}}

From 1971 to 1973, he was First Secretary (Commercial) in the Indian Embassy, Bonn, West Germany. Subsequently, he worked as Consul General of India in Frankfurt from 1973 to 1974.{{Cite magazine|date=March 1, 2012 |title=Who is Yashwant Sinha?|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/north/story/who-is-yashwant-sinha-120679-2012-11-06|access-date=2021-09-02|magazine=India Today|language=en}} After working for over seven years in this field, he acquired experience in matters relating to foreign trade and India's relations with the European Economic Community. Thereafter, he worked in the Department of Industrial Infrastructure, Government of Bihar State and in the Ministry of Industry, Government of India dealing with foreign industrial collaborations, technology imports, intellectual property rights, and industrial approvals.{{Cite web|date=2004-06-22|title=Yashwant Sinha: A brief profile|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/yashwant-sinha-a-brief-profile/story-AfxqjbFA9eR5i1QQiMkFdM.html|access-date=2021-09-02|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}

He later was Joint Secretary to Government of India in the Ministry of Surface Transport from 1980 to 1984, his main responsibilities were road transport, ports, and shipping. He resigned from service in 1984.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/7-days/fate-has-never-made-available-the-low-lying-fruit-for-me/cid/606407|title= Yashwant Sinha – The Telegraph|website=The Telegraph|location=Kolkota|access-date=6 November 2019}}

Political career

= Janata Dal =

Sinha resigned from the Indian Administrative Service in 1984 and joined active politics as a member of the Janata Party. He was appointed All-India General secretary of the party in 1986 and was elected Member of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Indian Parliament) in 1988.{{Cite web|last=Sinha|first=Yashwant|date=5 January 2019|title=Yashwant Sinha asks in his latest book: Where are the jobs?|url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/book-extract/yashwant-sinha-asks-in-his-latest-book-where-are-the-jobs|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105105427/https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/book-extract/yashwant-sinha-asks-in-his-latest-book-where-are-the-jobs|archive-date=5 January 2019|access-date=16 November 2020|website=National Herald|language=en}}

When the Janata Dal was formed in 1989, he was appointed General Secretary of the party. He worked as Minister of Finance from November 1990 to June 1991 in Chandra Shekhar's Cabinet.{{Cite web|title=Yashwant Sinha {{!}} Biography & Facts|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yashwant-Sinha|access-date=16 November 2020|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}

= BJP =

He became the National Spokesperson of the BJP in June 1996. He was elected to Lok Sabha as a BJP candidate from Hazaribagh in 1998, 1999, and 2009. He was appointed Finance Minister in March 1998. He was appointed Minister for External Affairs on 1 July 2002. In the 2004 Indian general election, he was defeated by Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta of CPI. He re-entered the Parliament as a member of Rajya Sabha same year. On 13 June 2009, he resigned as vice-president of BJP.{{cite web |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/yashwant-sinha-quits-as-bjp-vice-president/94816-37.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090616064128/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/yashwant-sinha-quits-as-bjp-vice-president/94816-37.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 June 2009 |title=Yashwant Sinha quits as BJP vice president |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date=13 June 2009 |access-date=4 July 2013}} In 2018, he quit the BJP citing the "party's condition" and that "democracy in India is in great danger".

In his autobiography Drohkaal ka Pathik, released in November 2013, former MP Pappu Yadav alleged that three MPs of his Indian Federal Democratic Party got money from the then finance minister Sinha, to join the NDA in 2001.D K Singh (27 November 2013) [http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pappu-s-memoirs-payoffs-from-upa---nda/1200046/ Pappu Yadav in memoir: Both Cong, BJP offered MPs Rs 40 crore each]. The Indian Express

Also there were allegations against Yashwant Sinha, that he was involved in the UTI scam.{{Cite news | url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/why-this-madness-now-mr-yashwant-sinha-113092400998_1.html |title = Why this madness now, Mr Yashwant Sinha?|newspaper = Business Standard India|date = 8 February 2012}}{{Cite web|title=rediff.com: Money column: The UTI fiasco: So who is responsible?|url=https://www.rediff.com/money/2002/aug/10paran.htm|access-date=16 November 2020|website=www.rediff.com}}{{Cite web | url=http://www.firstpost.com/politics/lessons-from-jaswant-yashwant-adapt-to-survive-in-the-new-bjp-1458493.html | title=Lessons from Jaswant, Yashwant: Adapt to survive in the new BJP| date=31 March 2014}}{{Cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/2001/07/13/stories/03130007.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030224222426/http://thehindu.com/thehindu/2001/07/13/stories/03130007.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=24 February 2003 | newspaper=The Hindu |title = Swamy wants Sinha to resign|date = 13 July 2001}}{{Cite web | url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040409/asp/jharkhand/story_3103603.asp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304140109/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040409/asp/jharkhand/story_3103603.asp | url-status=dead | archive-date=4 March 2016 | title=Court notice to Sinha on UTI scam}}

On 4 April 2017, Sinha was detained in Hazaribagh district along with BJP MLA Manish Jaiswal and 150 others after trying to hold a religious procession. On police stopping them, his supporters protested and allegedly threw stones at the police.{{Cite web | url=http://www.india.com/news/agencies/yashwant-sinha-bjp-mla-held-in-jharkhand-1992499/ | title=Yashwant Sinha, BJP MLA held in Jharkhand| date=4 April 2017}}

= TMC and 2022 presidential campaign =

On 13 March 2021, he joined TMC to fight against BJP just before the 2021 West Bengal Assembly Election. On 15 March 2021 he was appointed vice president of the Mamata Banerjee-led party. He was selected unanimously as the President Candidate of the Opposition for 2022 Presidential Election, making him the First TMC leader to be nominated for the President.

Finance minister

Image:Yashwant Sinha - World Economic Forum on East Asia 2008.jpg on East Asia in 2008]]

Sinha was the finance minister until 1 July 2002, when he exchanged jobs with foreign minister Jaswant Singh. Sinha, during his tenure, was forced to roll back some of his government's major policy initiatives for which he was much criticised.{{cite web|url=http://www.samachar.com/features/290402-sify.html |title=A welcome rollback |work=Free Press Journal |date=29 April 2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050209055647/http://www.samachar.com/features/290402-sify.html |archive-date=9 February 2005 }} Still, Sinha is widely credited with pushing through several major reform measures that put the Indian economy on a firm growth trajectory. Among them are lowering of real interest rates, introducing tax deduction for mortgage interest, freeing up the telecommunications sector, helping fund the National Highways Authority, and deregulating the petroleum industry. Sinha is also known for being the first Finance Minister to break the 53-year tradition of presenting the Indian budget at 5 pm local time, a practice held over from British Rule days that sought to present the Indian budget at a time convenient to the British Parliament (1130am GMT) rather than India's Parliament.

Sinha has written a comprehensive account of his years as Finance Minister titled Confessions of a Swadeshi Reformer.[https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/topic/yashwant-sinha Latest news about Yashwant Sinha]

Yashwant Sinha has been accused by opponents, and by other political observers of trying to promote nepotism by nominating his son Jayant Sinha as a successor to contest from Hazaribagh overlooking the interests of many other loyal party workers, though he tried to justify the nomination of his son as a party decision.{{Cite web | url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/04/corrosive-effect-india-dynasty--201447102553269423.html |title = What lies behind the corrosive effect of dynasty? | Al Jazeera}}

Honors

In 2015, he was awarded Officier de la Légion d’Honneur, the highest civilian distinction of France.{{cite web|url=http://www.ambafrance-in.org/French-Distinction-conferred-on-Yashwant-Sinha | title=French Distinction Conferred on Yashwant Sinha |access-date=11 June 2015}} It was bestowed upon him in recognition of his work as Union Minister of Finance, Minister of External Foreign Affairs and for his invaluable contribution to international issues.{{Cite web|title=Highest French Distinction conferred on Mr Yashwant Sinha|url=https://in.ambafrance.org/French-Distinction-conferred-on-Yashwant-Sinha|access-date=2021-08-29|website=La France en Inde / France in India|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2015-04-28|title=Yashwant Sinha honoured with Officier de la Légion d'Honneur by French Government|url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/yashwant-sinha-honoured-with-officier-de-la-lgion-dhonneur-by-french-government-1430211301-1|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Jagranjosh.com}}

Personal life

Sinha was born in a Bihari kayastha family and has a wide range of interests including reading, gardening and meeting people. He has widely travelled and has led a number of political and social delegations. He played a leading role in many negotiations on behalf of India. Sinha's wife is Nilima Sinha, one of India's leading children's writers and President, Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children.{{cite book |last1=Superle |first1=Michelle |title=Literature: Representations of Nation, Culture, and the New Indian Girl |date=2011 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |isbn=9781136720871 |pages=27 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=COKrAgAAQBAJ&q=Nilima+Sinha+husband&pg=PA27|access-date=4 September 2014}} They have a daughter, Sharmila, and two sons: Jayant Sinha and Sumant Sinha. Sinha blogs under the title Musings of a Swadeshi Reformer.{{cite web| url=http://www.yashwantsinha.in/| title=Musings of a Swadeshi Reformer| publisher=Yashwantsinha.in| access-date=18 March 2013| archive-date=4 November 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104033631/http://www.yashwantsinha.in/| url-status=dead}} He has co-authored the book India Unmade with Aditya Sinha.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-reviews/india-unmade-how-the-modi-government-broke-the-economy-review-dissenting-voice/article26035678.ece|title='India Unmade – How the Modi Government Broke the Economy' review: Dissenting voice|last=Subramanian|first=Kandaswami|date=19 January 2019|work=The Hindu|access-date=26 November 2019|issn=0971-751X}}