In a Union Cabinet reshuffle on May 17, Arjun Ram Meghwal became the new Union Law Minister of India, while Kiren Rijiju was moved to the Earth Sciences Ministry. Meghwal will now have the charge of Culture, Parliamentary Affairs as Minister of State, and Independent Charge of the Law Ministry.
The new law minister, Meghwal hails from a middle-class family in Rajasthan’s Bikaner. The 65-year-old politician received his primary education at a government school in his village and completed his secondary education at Jawahar Jain Secondary School in Bheenasar. He completed his graduation in law in 1977, after which he did his post-graduation. He began his professional career in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and served as a District Magistrate in the Rajasthan government. However, he later decided to shift his focus to social service and entered politics. The BJP leader was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament, for the first time in 2009 from Bikaner. He was re-elected in 2014 and made the political party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha.
The senior politician has held various positions and responsibilities throughout his political career. Meghwal has been a member of several parliamentary consultative and advisory committees, including the Consultative Committee on External Affairs, Standing Committee on Defence, Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forest, Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, to name a few.
