P. Chidambaram
This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (April 2012) In this Indian name, the name Palaniappan is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Chidambaram. P. Chidambaram Minister of Finance In office 31 July 2012 – 17 May 2014 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Preceded by Manmohan Singh Succeeded by Arun Jaitley In office 22 May 2004 – 30 November 2008 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Preceded by Jaswant Singh Succeeded by Manmohan Singh In office 1 June 1996 – 21 April 1997 Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda Preceded by Jaswant Singh Succeeded by I. K. Gujral Minister of Home Affairs In office 30 November 2009 – 31 July 2012 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Preceded by Shivraj Patil Succeeded by Sushilkumar Shinde Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions In office 26 December 1985 – 2 December 1989 Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi Preceded by Kamakhya Prasad Singh Deo Succeeded by Margaret Alva Personal details Born (1945-09-16) 16 September 1945 (age 69) Kandanur, Madras Presidency, British India Political party Indian National Congress (Before 1996; 2004–present) Other political affiliations Tamil Maanila Congress (1996–2001) Congress Jananayaka Peravai (2001–2004) Spouse(s) Nalini Chidambaram Children Karti Alma mater University of Madras Harvard University Profession Lawyer Religion Hinduism Palaniappan Chidambaram (born 16 September 1945) is an Indian politician affiliated with the Indian National Congress and a former Union Minister of Finance of India. Chidambaram is a corporate lawyer and an important member of the last Congress-led government. He has been the Finance Minister since May 2004, 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 returned as Finance Minister in July 2012, succeeding Pranab Mukherjee, who demitted office to become the President of India. In the budget for 1996–97, Chidambaram brought discipline in government spending and launched an ambitious tax reform program to tackle an unwieldy fiscal deficit. While, in the Budget of 2008, his move to waive off farmer debt has played a role in boosting aggregate demand in the Indian economy, thereby effectively insulating India from the impact of recession. He is a known supporter of the Gandhi dynasty. In particular, he has been supporting Rahul Gandhi, because of whom, people allege, congress suffered a humiliating defeat in the general elections of 2014 in India.