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Jaswant Singh Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth3 January 1938

Age82 years (at time of death)

BirthplaceJasol, Rajputana Agency, British India

ProfessionPolitician, Retired Army Personnel

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseSheetal Kanwar

FamilySon - Manvendra Singh; Parents - Thakur Sardara Singh Rathore and Kunwar Baisa

Jaswant Singh Biography

Jaswant Singh was an Indian politician and retired army officer who served in senior ministerial roles across several Bharatiya Janata Party governments. A

Early life and background
Jaswant Singh was born on 3 January 1938 in Jasol, then part of the Rajputana Agency in British India. He attended Mayo College in Rajasthan and went on to train at the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy before beginning a long public life that combined military service with politics.

Career
Jaswant Singh entered active politics in the late 1960s and was one of the founding members of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He served continuously in Parliament from 1980 until 2014, making him one of India’s longest-serving parliamentarians. His parliamentary career began with election to the Rajya Sabha in 1980, and he was re-elected to that body several times while also serving multiple terms in the Lok Sabha.

Across decades of public service he occupied a range of senior portfolios. He chaired the Estimates Committee in the early 1990s, served as Finance Minister on two occasions, and was appointed Defence Minister in 2001. He held the External Affairs portfolio from 1998 to 2002 and was named Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission in 1998. Between 2004 and 2009 he was the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

During Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s governments, Singh was entrusted with high-profile responsibilities, including representing India in sustained dialogue with the United States after the country’s 1998 nuclear tests. He was honoured with the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 2001. In 2012 he was the National Democratic Alliance’s vice-presidential candidate; he was not elected.

Singh’s relationship with the BJP saw ups and downs. He was expelled from the party following controversy in 2009 but was re-admitted the next year. In 2014 he stood as an independent candidate from Darjeeling and later contested from Barmer as an independent after not being allotted a party ticket; that year he was again expelled from the BJP when he refused to withdraw. He lost the 2014 Lok Sabha election in Barmer.

Public profile
Singh combined a formal military background with a robust presence in public debate. Known to some by the nickname Jassu, he wrote on national security and politics and published several books, including works titled Defending India, Khankhana Nama, A Call to Honor: In Service of Emergent India, and The Audacity of Opinion. His 1996 book on national security and a later work on the partition and figures such as Jinnah generated controversy and contributed to political fallout at points in his career.

Personal life
Jaswant Singh was married to Sheetal Kanwar and was the father of a son, Manvendra Singh, who is also a politician. His parents were Thakur Sardara Singh Rathore and Kunwar Baisa. He listed hobbies such as writing, reading, and travelling. Physically he was reported to be about 173 cm tall with black eyes and grey hair.

Health and death
On 7 August 2014 Singh suffered a severe head injury after slipping at his residence and remained in a coma thereafter. He underwent treatment for sepsis with multi-organ dysfunction. Jaswant Singh died on 27 September 2020 at the Army Hospital in New Delhi. He was 82 years old; the reported cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Latest updates
At the time of his death Singh’s long parliamentary service and his written work remained part of his public legacy. His political career included roles at the highest levels of government, and he is remembered for both his ministerial responsibilities and his contributions as an author.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Jaswant Singh, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence (book)

Controversial 2009 book examining partition and figures involved, which led to strong public reaction and political consequences.

2009
Defending India (book)

Book on national security and defence issues.

1999
A Call to Honor: In Service of Emergent India (book)

Collection of writings on India’s service and policy challenges.

2006
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Career Highlights

  1. Founding member of the Bharatiya Janata Party
  2. Served continuously in Parliament from 1980 to 2014
  3. Minister for External Affairs (1998–2002)
  4. Defence Minister (2001)
  5. Finance Minister (two terms)
  6. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha (2004–2009)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Jaswant Singh born?

3 January 1938

What is Jaswant Singh known for?

Politician, Retired Army Personnel

What is Jaswant Singh’s marital status?

Married

Who is Jaswant Singh married to?

Sheetal Kanwar