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Yashwant Sinha Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 14, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth6 November 1937

Age86 Years

BirthplaceAsthawan, Nalanda, British India (now Bihar), India

ProfessionCivil Servant & Politician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseNilima Sinha

FamilySons - Jayant Sinha, Sumant Sinha; Daughter - Sharmila

Yashwant Sinha Biography

Yashwant Sinha is an Indian civil servant turned politician who served as Union Finance Minister and later as Minister of External Affairs. A former IAS官in

Early life and background

Yashwant Sinha was born on 6 November 1937 in Asthawan, Nalanda in what was then British India. He grew up in Bihar and completed a Master’s degree in Political Science from Patna University in 1958. After finishing his postgraduate studies he taught at Patna University until 1960, when he joined the Indian Administrative Service. He was allotted the Bihar cadre and belonged to the 1960 IAS batch.

Career

Sinha spent more than two decades in the Indian Administrative Service, serving in various capacities before resigning from the service in 1984 to enter active politics. He began his political career with the Janata Party/Janata Dal, becoming an influential figure in the party and serving as its All-India General Secretary in 1986. In 1988 he entered the Rajya Sabha.

His first national cabinet post came in November 1990, when he served as Finance Minister in the Chandra Shekhar government until June 1991. Later, after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, he rose to prominence as the party’s national spokesperson in 1996. When the BJP led the government under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sinha served as Union Finance Minister beginning in 1998. In July 2002 he was appointed Minister for External Affairs in the Vajpayee cabinet.

Sinha contested parliamentary elections from the Hazaribagh constituency and lost in 2004. He returned to the Rajya Sabha in 2005. In June 2009 he resigned from the post of vice-president of the BJP. He left the BJP on 21 April 2018.

In March 2021 Sinha joined the All India Trinamool Congress. He resigned from the party in June 2022 ahead of the presidential election. In June 2022 he was announced by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh as a common candidate for the presidential election.

Public profile

Across his public life Sinha has been known both for his administrative background and for his work in national finance and foreign affairs. During his tenure as Finance Minister he pursued reform measures that supporters credit with strengthening India’s growth trajectory. He also broke a long-standing convention by being the first finance minister to change the traditional hour at which the Union Budget was presented.

Outside politics, Sinha has authored a book that reflects on his time as finance minister titled Confessions of a Swadeshi Reformer. In recognition of his public service, the French government awarded him the Officier de la Légion d’Honneur on 25 April 2015.

Personal life

Sinha is married to Nilima Sinha, an author. The couple have three children: two sons, Jayant Sinha (a politician) and Sumant Sinha (a businessman), and a daughter, Sharmila (a writer). He comes from a Kayastha family and practices Hinduism. His interests include gardening, blogging, reading newspapers, writing and travelling.

Latest updates

After decades in public service and active politics, Sinha has remained a prominent figure into his eighties. His most recent party move was joining the All India Trinamool Congress in March 2021 and resigning in June 2022 before being named as a common presidential candidate in June 2022.

Physical profile

Sinha’s height is listed at approximately 173 cm (about 5 feet 8 inches) and his weight around 75 kg. He has black eyes and grey hair.
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Recent Work

Confessions of a Swadeshi Reformer

A book compiling his experiences and accounts from his years as Finance Minister.

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Career Highlights

  1. Joined Indian Administrative Service (IAS), 1960
  2. Joined active politics with Janata Dal, 1984
  3. Member of Rajya Sabha, first elected 1988
  4. Union Finance Minister in Chandra Shekhar cabinet, Nov 1990–Jun 1991
  5. National Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party, 1996
  6. Union Finance Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet, 1998
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Yashwant Sinha born?

6 November 1937

What is Yashwant Sinha known for?

Civil Servant & Politician

What is Yashwant Sinha’s marital status?

Married

Who is Yashwant Sinha married to?

Nilima Sinha