Hardeep Singh Puri is the new aviation minister; BJP leader has held ambassador-level posts in UK, Brazil

Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday took charge as the new Civil Aviation Minister under the second Narendra Modi cabinet. He has also been additionally given the junior ministry in the Commerce and Industry Ministry in which Piyush Goyal is the Cabinet minister.

Puri is among the few BJP leaders who lost the Lok Sabha polls 2019 despite the Modi wave. He contested from Amritsar parliamentary seat in Punjab and lost to Congress’ Gurjeet Singh Aujla with a margin on 99,626. Puri’s loss is credited to infighting within Punjab BJP.

Born on 15 February, 1952, Puri did BA (Hons) History from Hindu College, University of Delhi and was placed first in order of merit in 1971. He completed his MA (History) in 1973.

He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1974. During a career spanning 39 years, he served in senior positions at the Ministries of External Affairs and Defence, held ambassadorial level posts in the United Kingdom, Brazil and served as Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations both in Geneva and New York. He had earlier served in India’s Missions in Tokyo, and Colombo.

He was President of the United Nations Security Council in August 2011 and November 2012 and Chairman of the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee in 2011-2012.

He was inducted in the Union Cabinet on 3 September, 2017 and took over as Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on 4 September, 2017.