P chidambaram biography

Palaniappan Chidambaram was India’s Finance Minister from 2004-14, except for a three and a half year stint – beginning November 2008 – as Home Minister, in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Chidambaram is a corporate lawyer and an important member of the last Congress-led government.

The Indian National Congress appointed P. Chidambaram as one of thirteen senior spokespersons on 15 September 2014.

Chidambaram brought discipline in government spending and launched an ambitious tax reform program to tackle an unwieldy fiscal deficit. His move to waive off farmer debt played a role in boosting aggregate demand in the Indian economy, thereby effectively insulating India from the impact of recession.

After graduating with a BSc degree in statistics from the Presidency College, Chennai, he completed his Bachelor of Laws from the Madras Law College (now Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College) and his MBA from Harvard Business School in the class of 1968. He also holds a Master’s degree from Loyola College in Chennai.

P Chidambaram is an Indian politician and former attorney who currently serves as a Member of Parliament (MP), Rajya Sabha. He was born to Kandanur L Ct L Palaniappa Chettiar and Lakshmi Achi in Kanadukathan in the Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu. His maternal grandfather was Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar, a wealthy merchant, and banker from Chettinad.

Chidambaram served as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs from 2017 to 2018. He has served as the Union Minister of Finance four times. Most recently, he held the role for the entirety of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from 2004 to 2014, except for a three-year period as Minister of Home Affairs, during which he oversaw India's domestic security response to the 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai. He returned as Finance Minister in July 2012, succeeding Pranab Mukherjee, who resigned to become the President of India.

Chidambaram has faced controversies on account of his son being accused of corruption in the Aircel-Maxis and INX cases. The cases are being pursued by the CBI and ED. His son, Karti Chidambaram was arrested by CBI in the INX money laundering case and is out on bail at present.