P. Chidambaram

Palaniyappan Chidambaram (born 16 September 1945), better known as P. Chidambaram, is an Indian politician and lawyer who currently serves as a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. He served as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs from 2017 to 2018. He also served as Interim Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha from 2022 to 2023 under Mallikarjun Kharge.

Chidambaram has served as the Union Minister of Finance four times. Most recently, he held the role for the entirety of the United Progressive Alliance 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. Chidambaram returned as Finance Minister in July 2012, succeeding Pranab Mukherjee, who resigned to become the President of India. He was included in Time 100 list in 2013. He was also the head of Congress Manifesto Committee for the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections and 2024 Indian General Elections.

Early life and education

Chidambaram was born to Kandanur L. Ct. L. Palaniyappan Chettiyar and Lakshmi Aachi at Kanadukathan in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. His maternal grandfather was Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar, a wealthy merchant and banker from Chettinad.

Chidambaram did his schooling at the Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School, Chennai. He then passed the one-year Pre-university course from Loyola College, Chennai. After graduating with a BSc degree in Statistics from the Presidency College, Chennai, he completed his Bachelor of Laws from the Madras Law College (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, Chennai.