21 Facts About Arun Shourie

Arun Shourie was born on 2 November 1941 and is an Indian economist, journalist, author and politician.

Arun Shourie has worked as an economist with the World Bank, a consultant to the Planning Commission of India, editor of the Indian Express and The Times of India and a Minister of Communications and Information Technology in the Vajpayee Ministry.

Arun Shourie was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1982 and the Padma Bhushan in 1990.

Arun Shourie was born in Jalandhar, British India, on 2 November 1941.

Arun Shourie studied at Modern School, Barakhamba and did his bachelor's in Economics from St Stephen's College, Delhi University.

Arun Shourie obtained his doctorate in Economics from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 1966.

Arun Shourie speaks about his personal life and reviews his life events as case diaries "My writing is like the case diary of an advocate which is aimed at winning a case" and his opinions on journalism.

Arun Shourie is skeptical of religions and especially the concept of organised religion.

Arun Shourie shared his life experiences in the 2011-book Does Arun Shourie Know a Mother's Heart: How Suffering Refutes Religion.

Shortly after receiving PhD in economics from Syracuse University Shourie joined World Bank as an economist in 1967 where he worked for more than 10 years.

In 1975, during The Emergency imposed by then prime minister, Indira Gandhi, Arun Shourie began writing for the Indian Express in opposition to what he saw as an attack on civil liberties.

Arun Shourie became a fellow of the Indian Council of Social Science Research in 1976.

Arun Shourie developed a reputation as an intelligent, fearless writer and editor who campaigned for freedom of the press, exposed corruption and defended civil liberties such that, in the words of Martha Nussbaum, "his dedication to the truth has won admiration throughout the political spectrum".

Arun Shourie has been named International Editor of the Year Award and was awarded The Freedom to Publish Award.

Arun Shourie held the office of the Minister of Disinvestment, Communication and Information Technology in the government of India under Vajpayee's prime ministership.

Arun Shourie was among many who objected to The Muslim Women Act 1986, which the government headed by Rajiv Gandhi proposed to alleviate communal violence and retain Muslim votes.

Arun Shourie wrote articles that tried to show that the treatment of women as required by the Quran would in fact offer them protection, although the application of Islamic law in practice was oppressing them.

Arun Shourie deplored factionalism within the party and those who brief journalists to aid their own agenda.

Arun Shourie has been described by Christophe Jaffrelot, a political scientist, as "a writer sympathetic to militant Hindu themes" and has publicly voiced support for the aims of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a nationalist Hindutva organisation.

Arun Shourie has said that, although he sees a danger from perceived Muslim violence such as the Godhra train burning incident of 2002, people have tended to redefine the "Hindutva" term.

Arun Shourie emphasised his views in a cultural conference called Tomorrow's India Global Summit and added that the pressure to bring about change in the present electoral system should come from the society.