Rajnath Singh (born 10 July 1951) is an Indian politician and senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who has served as India’s Defence Minister since 2019. A former physics lecturer, he has been Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister and twice national president of the BJP. He is regarded as one of the party’s most experienced and widely respected leaders.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Rajnath Singh |
| Born | 10 July 1951, Babhora, Chandauli district, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Age | 75 |
| Office | Minister of Defence (since 2019) |
| Previous offices | Union Home Minister (2014–2019); Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (2000–2002) |
| Party | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) |
| Constituency | Lucknow (Lok Sabha) |
| Education | MSc in Physics, Gorakhpur University |
| Spouse | Savitri Singh |
| Children | Two sons, including politician Pankaj Singh, and a daughter |
Early Life
Rajnath Singh was born into a farming family in Babhora village in eastern Uttar Pradesh. He earned a master’s degree in physics from Gorakhpur University and worked as a physics lecturer at a college in Mirzapur. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a teenager.
Political Career
Singh was active in the Jana Sangh and was jailed during the 1975–77 Emergency. He was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1977. As the state’s Education Minister from 1991 he became known for a strict law against cheating in examinations.
In Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government, Singh served as Union Minister for Surface Transport and later Agriculture. From October 2000 to March 2002 he was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
Singh was national president of the BJP from 2005 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2014. During his second term the party chose Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate and won the 2014 general election.
Singh served as Union Home Minister in Modi’s first government from 2014 to 2019. He became Defence Minister in 2019 and kept the post after the 2024 election. As Defence Minister he has overseen military modernisation, a push for home-grown defence manufacturing and the handling of the 2020 border stand-off with China. He also oversaw Operation Sindoor in 2025. He has represented Lucknow in the Lok Sabha since 2014.
Personal Life
Singh is married to Savitri Singh, and they have two sons and a daughter. Their son Pankaj Singh is a BJP legislator from Noida. Known for his calm, measured style, Rajnath Singh is often seen as a consensus-builder within the party.
Key Offices Held
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Rajnath Singh born?
Rajnath Singh was born on 10 July 1951 in Babhora, Chandauli district, Uttar Pradesh, India.
