Arun Jaitley
A sharp legal mind and political strategist who became India's Finance Minister, steering the introduction of a transformative nationwide goods and services tax.
1952–2019 (age 67)·Indian politician and attorney·Birthday: December 28·Baby Boomers
Biography
Arun Jaitley (1952–2019) built his political career on dual pillars: a law degree from Delhi University and years inside the BJP's backroom. His first public role came during the Emergency, when he organized student protests. Jaitley became the party's chief legal strategist and a forceful parliamentary speaker. Under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he held the ministries of commerce, law, and shipping. In 2014, Narendra Modi appointed him Finance Minister. Jaitley then drove two of India's most divisive economic policies: the November 2016 demonetization of 500- and 1,000-rupee notes, and the July 2017 rollout of the Goods and Services Tax. GST required stitching together twenty-nine state tax systems into one national framework—a political negotiation that relied on Jaitley's ability to win over opposition finance ministers. He was a sharp debater, a cricket enthusiast, and maintained friendships across party lines. His career marked a period when personal relationships could still push major legislation through a fractious parliament.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Arun was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arun Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Arun's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2019Died at 67
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
Key Achievements
- Served as the Finance Minister of India from 2014 to 2019, overseeing the rollout of the landmark Goods and Services Tax (GST).
- Successfully piloted the contentious Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code through Parliament in 2016.
- Held multiple key cabinet positions including Defence, Corporate Affairs, and Law & Justice in different governments.
- Was a leading legal counsel and represented several high-profile cases before becoming a full-time politician.
Did You Know?
He was a passionate foodie and was known for his detailed knowledge of Delhi's restaurants.
Jaitley served as the President of the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) for over a decade.
He was offered the post of Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in the early 2000s but declined.
During the Emergency (1975-77), he was arrested and spent 19 months in prison as a student activist.
““The GST is not just a tax reform, it’s a landmark political achievement which has brought different parties and different states together.””
