His Excellency Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
India’s Vice President
At the time of Amritavarsham50, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was serving as India’s Vice President, a position he began in 2002.
He was born on 23 October 1923 in the village of Khachariawas, in Sikar, Rajasthan. He has served in a large number of political offices since 1952, including, the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly; the Rajya Sabha (Madhya Pradesh); the Chief Minister of Rajasthan (three terms); and as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.
On becoming Rajasthan’s Chief Minister for the first time in 1977, he launched landmark programmes such as Antyodaya, Food for Work and Apna Gaon Apna Kaam, with focus on poverty alleviation; the efforts made by the State Government under his leadership in conceiving and successfully implementing poverty alleviation programmes were recognised in India and abroad.