| Arvind Kejriwal | |
|---|---|
Arvind Kejriwal |
|
| Born | 16 June 1968 Hissar, Haryana |
| Education | B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering |
| Alma mater | IIT Kharagpur |
| Organization | Parivartan (परिवर्तन) Public Cause Research Foundation India Against Corruption |
| Political movement | 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement Right to Information Jan Lokpal Bill |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | |
| http://www.pcrf.in/ | |
Arvind Kumar Kejriwal (Hindi: अरविंद केजरीवाल) (born 16 June 1968) is an Indian social activist fighting for greater transparency in Government.[1] He was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006, for activating India's Right to Information movement at grassroots and social activities to empower the poorest citizens to fight corruption by holding the government answerable to the people.[2][3][2][2] Kejriwal is also a Saathi (fellow) of the Association for India's Development,[4] a Global Impact award winning NGO.[5]
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Arvind Kejriwal was born in Hissar, Haryana in 1968.[1] His father was an engineer and he spent most of his childhood living in small northern Indian towns like Sonepat, Mathura and Hissar. He did his schooling from Campus School.[6] Kejriwal graduated from IIT Kharagpur as a Mechanical engineer in 1989.[7][8]
Kejriwal joined Tata Steel right after his graduation from IIT Kharagpur. Kejriwal quit his job with Tata Steel in 1992 and spent some time working with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, the Ramakrishna Mission in the North-East India and Nehru Yuva Kendra.[9][10]
Kejriwal joined the Indian Revenue Service in 1995.[10] In February 2006, he voluntarily resigned from the IRS as Joint Commissioner in IT Department.[11] After voluntary resignation from job, he founded Parivartan, a Delhi based citizens’ movement which works on ensuring a just, transparent and accountable governance. Thereafter, in February 2006, he resigned from the job, to work full-time at Parivartan. In December 2006, Kejriwal along with Manish Sisodia and Abhinandan Sekhri started Public Cause Research Foundation, which works for promoting better local self governance and RTI related campaigns [12]
He along with Aruna Roy and others, campaigned for the Right to Information Act (RTI), which soon became a silent social movement, Delhi Right to Information Act was passed in 2001[7] and eventually at national level Indian Parliament passed the RTI in 2005. Thereafter, in July 2006, he spearheaded an awareness campaign for RTI across India.[13] To motivate others Arvind has now instituted an RTI Award through his organisation.[14] Kejriwal has been using RTI in corruption cases in many government departments including the Income Tax department, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Public Distribution System (PDS), the Delhi Electricity Board and others.[9][15]
As a member of India Against Corruption (IAC) Kejriwal is an active participant in the movement for the enactment of Jan Lokpal Bill. He is considered a key figure along with social activist Anna Hazare.[16] On August 16, 2011, Key members of the India Against Corruption including Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, and Manish Sisodia were arrested four hours before the planned indefinite hunger strike by Hazare.[17] Rajan Bhagat, spokesman for Delhi Police, said police arrested Hazare under a legal provision that bans public gatherings and protests at the park in Delhi where Hazare was planning to begin his hunger strike. Activists were later released same day although they spent two more days in the Tihar jail negotiating conditions put on protest.[18] Kejriwal left the jail on August 18 and the protests started the following day from Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.[19] After twelve days of protests and many discussions between the government and the activists, Parliament passed a resolution to consider three points in drafting of Lokpal bill.[20]
Swami Agnivesh a former colleague of Kejriwal in Team Anna accused Arvind Kejriwal of diverting money from India Against Corruption (IAC) fund to his (Kejriwal's) own NGO. Kejriwal allegedly deposited Rs 70-80 lakh from IAC fund in his own NGO. The money was raised as the donation to IAC.[21] Mr. Kejriwal responded to the allegation that the IAC was a "movement" not an institution and that PCRF was working as a secretariat for IAC.[22]
In an article published in the Hindu newspaper in 22 August 2011, Booker prize winning author and civil rights activist Arundhati Roy alleged that an NGO run by Kejriwal received a donation of USD 400,000 from the Ford Foundation in the past 3 years.[23] Arvind Kejriwal has since admitted that the NGO Kabir he runs along with Manish Sisodia, did receive funds from the New York-based Ford Foundation, but pointed out that it had stopped about two years ago.Kejriwal dismissed the view held by some which suggested that Ford Foundation has historically been linked to CIA, the US intelligence agency that used it for channeling funds to its recipients in foreign countries.[24] [25]
Kejriwal is married to Sunita, who is an IRS officer and his batchmate from National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.[8] They live just outside Delhi with their two children.[10]
The Right to Information : Vyawharik Margdarshika - Co-Author - Vishnu Rajgadia, Published by Rajkamal Prakashan, New Delhi. in the year 2008.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal was attacked by a youth with a slipper during attending a program in Jhulelal Park Lucknow, India under India Against Corruption (IAC) anti-graft campaign.[29]
After the incident, the accused was caught by the IAC volunteers and handed over to the police. Later, Mr. Kejriwal asked that the accused be released and did not file any FIR against him.[30]
The accused was identified as Jitendra Pathak of Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun district, who worked for the Indian National Congress from 2006-2009 and is a former member of Congress Sewa Dal.[31] He was not a mere party worker but was responsible for key areas in Jhansi. As per the accused acceptance, he considers Rahul Gandhi as his role model.[32][33]
Kejriwal's attacker Jitendra Pathak has been sacked from his job. He is working in a private construction company Ansh Project Service, Lucknow.[34] On the other hand, Arvind Kejriwal has written a letter to the chairman of the company to take back their decision and to retain the accused. As per Kejriwal's ideology, violence can be stopped by non-violence only and taking Jitendra's job is violence against the accused and his family.[35]
In a Sting operation done by India TV in Lucknow, the slipper attacker told that he is planning to attack by bomb during Anna Hazare coming IAC anti-graft campaign in Uttar Pradesh.[36]