Arvind Kejriwal
An anti-corruption crusader who stormed India's political establishment, trading a civil service career for a populist movement that upended Delhi.
Born 1968 (age 58)·Chief Minister of Delhi (2013–14; 2015–2024)·Birthday: August 16·Generation X
Biography
Arvind Kejriwal's story is a modern political fable: the bureaucrat who turned against the system. An Indian Revenue Service officer, he first gained prominence as a key figure in the grassroots movement for a strong anti-corruption law, sharing stages with activist Anna Hazare. Sensing the limits of protest, Kejriwal made the audacious leap into electoral politics, founding the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on a platform of clean governance and direct public engagement. His political career has been a rollercoaster of dramatic victories and constant confrontation. He became Delhi's Chief Minister, lost power in days, then stormed back with an unprecedented majority, his party's promise of cheap water, electricity, and reformed schools resonating deeply in the capital. His tenure has been defined by a perpetual state of war with Delhi's Lieutenant Governor and the central government, leading to his imprisonment on corruption charges—a move his supporters decry as political persecution. Whether viewed as a pragmatic reformer or a disruptive populist, Kejriwal permanently altered India's political landscape by proving a single-issue party could win, and win big.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Arvind was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arvind Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Arvind's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
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!
1973Started school
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
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which achieved a historic electoral victory in Delhi in 2015, winning 67 of 70 seats.
- Served as the Chief Minister of Delhi for multiple terms, implementing policies like subsidized water and electricity.
- Was a central leader of the India Against Corruption movement that pushed for the Jan Lokpal Bill.
- Received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006 for his anti-corruption work.
Did You Know?
He is a trained mechanical engineer from IIT Kharagpur.
Before politics, he worked for the Indian Revenue Service and voluntarily resigned from his post.
He adopted the common man's cap (topi) as a symbol of his party's identity.
He has undertaken several hunger strikes as a form of political protest.
“If you want to serve the country, you don't need to leave your job. Start fighting corruption from wherever you are.”
