Hello, Warriors! India, after independence, has seen many wars and various operations including counter-terrorism and disaster relief and the armed forces have never backed up in any situation.
The charge of the Indian Armed Forces was first led by Baldev Singh from 1946 to 1952 and is currently in hands of Shri Rajnath Singh India has witnessed 40 defence ministers since its independence.
Defence Minister of India
A nation’s well-being relies on the strength of its defence, and a robust defence ministry serves as its backbone.
The Indian government is responsible for maintaining a strong defence, with the President serving as the supreme commander of all Armed Forces. The cabinet ministry of defence is tasked with overseeing the nation’s defence, with the Defence Minister serving as its head.
Baldev Singh Chokkar served as the first Defence Minister of independent India during 1947-52 as a part of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet. Currently, Rajnath Singh holds the position of Defence Minister in India.
Current Defence Minister of India
Currently, the mature and experienced Rajnath Singh shoulders the responsibility of India’s defense. As a senior political leader, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh rose through the ranks of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after beginning his career as an ABVP activist.
Born on July 10, 1951 in the village of Bhabhuara in Uttar Pradesh, Rajnath Singh grew up in a family of farmers. He obtained a master’s degree in physics from Gorakhpur University and worked as a physics lecturer at K.B. Post-Graduate College in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh.
As the current Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh is committed to increasing the participation of women in the armed forces and has initiated several measures to achieve this. He firmly believes in India’s potential and spirit and is determined to see the country regain its title of Viswaguru.
Here are all the ministers of defence since India’s independence:
| S. NO | Name | Starting Date | Ending Date |
| 1 | Baldev Singh Chokkar | 15 August 1947 | 13 May 1952 |
| 2 | N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar | 13 May 1952 | 10 February 1953 |
| 3 | Jawaharlal Nehru | 27 February 1953 | 10 January 1955 |
| 4 | Kailash Nath Katju | 10 January 1955 | 30 January 1957 |
| 5 | Jawaharlal Nehru | 30 January 1957 | 17 April 1957 |
| 6 | V. K. Krishna Menon | 17 April 1957 | 1 November 1962 |
| 7 | Jawaharlal Nehru | 1 November 1962 | 21 November 1962 |
| 8 | Yashwantrao Chavan | 21 November 1962 | 13 November 1966 |
| 9 | Swaran Singh | 13 November 1966 | 27 June 1970 |
| 10 | Jagjivan Ram | 27 June 1970 | 10 October 1974 |
| 12 | Swaran Singh | 10 October 1974 | 1 December 1975 |
| 13 | Indira Gandhi | 1 December 1975 | 21 December 1975 |
| 14 | Bansi Lal | 21 December 1975 | 24 March 1977 |
| 15 | Jagjivan Ram | 28 March 1977 | 27 July 1979 |
| 16 | Chidambaram Subramaniam | 30 July 1979 | 14 January 1980 |
| 17 | Indira Gandhi | 14 January 1980 | 15 January 1982 |
| 18 | R. Venkataraman | 15 August 1982 | 1 August 1984 |
| 19 | Shankarrao Chavan | 3 August 1984 | 31 December 1984 |
| 20 | P. V. Narasimha Rao | 1 January 1985 | 24 September 1985 |
| 21 | Rajiv Gandhi | 25 September 1985 | 24 January 1987 |
| 22 | V. P. Singh | 25 January 1987 | 12 April 1987 |
| 23 | K. C. Pant | 18 April 1987 | 3 December 1989 |
| 24 | V. P. Singh | 6 December 1989 | 10 November 1990 |
| 25 | Chandra Shekhar | 21 November 1990 | 20 June 1991 |
| 26 | P. V. Narasimha Rao | 21 June 1991 | 26 June 1991 |
| 27 | Sharad Pawar | 26 June 1991 | 5 March 1993 |
| 28 | P. V. Nasimha Rao | 6 March 1993 | 16 May 1996 |
| 29 | Pramod Mahajan | 16 May 1996 | 1 June 1996 |
| 30 | Mulayam Singh Yadav | 1 June 1996 | 19 March 1998 |
| 31 | George Fernandes | 19 March 1998 | 16 March 2001 |
| 32 | Jaswant Singh | 16 March 2001 | 21 October 2001 |
| 33 | George Fernandes | 21 October 2001 | 22 May 2004 |
| 34 | Pranab Mukherjee | 22 May 2004 | 24 October 2006 |
| 35 | A. K. Antony | 26 October 2006 | 26 May 2014 |
| 36 | Arun Jaitley | 26 May 2014 | 9 November 2014 |
| 37 | Manohar Parrikar | 9 November 2014 | 13 March 2017 |
| 38 | Arun Jaitley | 13 March 2017 | 3 September 2017 |
| 39 | Nirmala Sitharaman | 3 September 2017 | 31 May 2019 |
| 40 | Rajnath Singh | 31 May 2019 | Incumbent |
Defence Minister of India: FAQs
Q1. Who is the current Defence Minister of India?
Ans. Mr. Rajnath singh is the current Defence Minister of India
Q2. Who was the first Defence Minister of India?
Ans. Mr. Baldev Singh was the first Defence Minister of India.
Knowing about the Defense Ministers of India is important for competitive exams, especially those related to Indian history, politics, and current affairs. Questions related to the Defense Ministers of India can be asked in various competitive exams, such as civil services examinations, banking exams, and other government job exams. Therefore, it is recommended to have a basic understanding of the Defense Ministers of India and their contributions.
