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Ghulam Nabi Azad Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth7 March 1949

Age73 Years

BirthplaceSoti village, Gandoh, Jammu and Kashmir

ProfessionPolitician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseShameem Dev Azad

FamilySon - Saddam Nabi Azad; Daughter - Sofiya Nabi Azad; Father - Rahamatullah Batt; Mother - Basa Begum; Siblings - Liaqat Ali, Ghulam Ali Azad, Ghulam Qadir Bhatt, Shakeela Begum

Ghulam Nabi Azad Biography

Veteran Indian politician who served as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, held multiple Union ministries, led the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, and in 26

Early life and background
Ghulam Nabi Azad was born on 7 March 1949 in Soti village, Gandoh, in Jammu and Kashmir. He grew up in the Gandoh area and completed his schooling under the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education in Srinagar. He undertook undergraduate studies at Gandhi Memorial Science College and went on to earn a master’s degree in zoology from the University of Kashmir in 1972.

Career
Azad entered active politics in the early 1970s. He joined the Indian National Congress in 1973 as secretary of the Block Congress Committee in Bhalessa and, two years later, was named president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Youth Congress. His responsibilities expanded rapidly: by 1980 he was president of the All-India Youth Congress, and during the 1980s he began taking on roles within the central government.

Across more than four decades with the Congress, Azad held many elected and ministerial posts. He served as a member of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha at various times. In the 1980s he held junior ministerial positions including deputy minister roles in Law, Justice and Company Affairs and Information and Broadcasting, and later served as Minister of State in Parliamentary Affairs, Home Affairs, and Food and Civil Supplies.

During the 1990s and 2000s he occupied senior Union ministries. He was Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs on multiple occasions and held the Civil Aviation and Tourism portfolio. In the 2000s he served as Union Minister for Urban Development as well. In 2005 he resigned his Rajya Sabha membership to take office as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, a post he held from 2005 to 2008. After that period he returned to state-level politics as an MLA from Bhaderwah and later served as Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare from 2009.

Azad’s parliamentary career continued into the next decade. He was Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha from 2015 until 2021. In August 2022 he stepped away from long-standing ties with the Indian National Congress, resigning from all party positions and primary membership. A few weeks later, on 26 September 2022, he launched a new regional political outfit, the Democratic Azad Party, based in Jammu and Kashmir.

Public profile
Across his public life Azad developed a reputation for organizational experience and crisis management within his party. In March 2022 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan. His tenure as Health Minister included expansion of the National Rural Health Mission and initiation of a National Urban Health Mission aimed at urban poor populations.

Azad has been vocal on several public issues and, during a farewell to the Rajya Sabha in 2021, described his identity in national terms. Over the years he has been seen as a senior figure who worked across state and central responsibilities and maintained an active public presence through interviews and speeches.

Personal life
Azad is married to Kashmiri singer Shameem Dev Azad; the couple married in 1980. They have two children, a son named Saddam Nabi Azad and a daughter named Sofiya Nabi Azad. His parents are Rahamatullah Batt and Basa Begum. He comes from a family with several politically active siblings, including Liaqat Ali, Ghulam Ali Azad, and Ghulam Qadir Bhatt; he also has a sister, Shakeela Begum.

Latest updates
In mid-2022 Azad publicly criticized the direction of the Congress party, expressed dissatisfaction with candidate selections for Rajya Sabha seats, and resigned as chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress campaign committee. He left the Congress in August 2022, citing differences with party leadership, and denied reports that he intended to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. By late September 2022 he had formed the Democratic Azad Party to contest regional political space in Jammu and Kashmir.

Physical and other details
Azad is an Indian national from Gandoh, Jammu and Kashmir. He is listed as having black eyes and black hair. His hometown remains Gandoh, and he has maintained a residential address in Srinagar.

The public record presented here summarizes positions held, family background, education and recent political moves. It draws only on verified details of offices, dates and public statements made during his long career in Indian public life.
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Recent Work

Launched Democratic Azad Party

Founded a regional political party in Jammu and Kashmir after leaving the Indian National Congress.

2022
Served as Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha

Led the Congress in the Rajya Sabha from 2015 until the end of his tenure in 2021.

2015-2021
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare

Oversaw expansion of the National Rural Health Mission and launched a National Urban Health Mission.

2009-2014
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined Indian National Congress in 1973 and rose through youth wings to national roles
  2. Served as Union Minister in multiple portfolios including Parliamentary Affairs, Civil Aviation and Urban Development
  3. Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (2005–2008)
  4. Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha (2015–2021)
  5. Founded the Democratic Azad Party in September 2022
  6. Recipient of the Padma Bhushan (March 2022)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Ghulam Nabi Azad born?

7 March 1949

What is Ghulam Nabi Azad known for?

Politician

What is Ghulam Nabi Azad’s marital status?

Married

Who is Ghulam Nabi Azad married to?

Shameem Dev Azad