All you need to know about Arjun Ram Meghwal

Arjun Ram Meghwal, 70, is one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most trusted men. Often seen in his trademark green and orange turban, he sits behind Modi in the second row in Parliament.

A simple person, he is said to be a disciplined worker of the BJP, with a RSS background. Hailing from Kishmidesar in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district , he belongs to the Dalit community, and is a three-time MP from the SC reserved constituency.

Someone who was warned by his father that he would be dropped out of the school for lagging behind in studies, he defied the odds and eventually became an IAS officer.

Married at the age of 14, he studied Arts and has a law degree from Sri Dungar College in Bikaner. He also has an MBA from the Philippines University. He is environment conscious, and used to go to Parliament on a bicycle.

A low-profile yet accessible and genial individual, he assumed the pivotal role of Law Minister in 2023. His journey into politics began in 2009 after resigning from his position as a district magistrate in the Rajasthan government. He has been elected from the Bikaner constituency thrice. Over the years, he has held diverse ministerial portfolios including Culture, Water Resources, Finance and Corporate Affairs, Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Parliamentary Affairs, and an independent charge of Law and Justice.

As a Parliamentary Affairs minister, he oversaw some crucial legislation like the passage of abrogation of Article 370, the Citizenship Amendment Act.

In 2013 he was awarded the best Parliamentarian award, and in 2014, he became the chief whip of the BJP. He is seen as a good floor manager in both Houses of Parliament, and gathers support for the bill, builds consensus and ensures the numbers required for the passage. He tabled the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in September 2023, which has given 33 per cent of seats in Lok Sabha and all state legislative Assemblies for women.

A Ram and Kabir bhakt, he is proficient in singing bhajans and often seen performing in functions.