Kapil Sibal
Kapil Sibal (born 8 August 1948) is an Indian lawyer and politician. A designated Senior Advocate, he has represented several high-profile cases in the Supreme Court of India and is widely regarded as one of the famous lawyers of India. He is a Member of Parliament, in Rajya Sabha.
Kapil Sibal | |
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Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
Assumed office 4 July 2022 | |
Preceded by | Rewati Raman Singh, SP |
Constituency | Uttar Pradesh |
In office 5 July 2016 – 25 May 2022 | |
Preceded by | Satish Sharma, INC |
Constituency | Uttar Pradesh |
Minister of Communications and Information Technology | |
In office 19 January 2011 – 26 May 2014 | |
Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
Preceded by | Manmohan Singh |
Succeeded by | Ravi Shankar Prasad |
Minister of Human Resource Development | |
In office 29 May 2009 – 29 October 2012 | |
Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
Preceded by | Arjun Singh |
Succeeded by | Pallam Raju |
Minister of Science and Technology | |
In office 23 May 2004 – 22 May 2009 | |
Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
Preceded by | Vijay Goel |
Succeeded by | Pawan Kumar Bansal |
Minister of Earth Sciences | |
In office 29 January 2006 – 22 May 2009 | |
Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
Preceded by | Vijay Goel |
Succeeded by | Pawan Kumar Bansal |
Minister of Law and Justice | |
In office 11 May 2013 – 26 May 2014 | |
Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
Preceded by | Ashwani Kumar |
Succeeded by | Ravi Shankar Prasad |
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
In office 10 May 2004 – 16 May 2014 | |
Preceded by | Vijay Goel |
Succeeded by | Harsh Vardhan |
Constituency | Chandni Chowk, Delhi |
Personal details | |
Born | Jalandhar, East Punjab, India | 8 August 1948
Political party | Independent |
Other political affiliations | Indian National Congress (2003 to 18 May 2022) |
Spouses | Nina Sibal
(m. 1973; died 2000)Promila Sibal (m. 2005) |
Children | 2 sons |
Parent |
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Relatives | Kanwal Sibal (brother) |
Alma mater | St. Stephen's College, Delhi (B.A., M.A.) Faculty of Law, University of Delhi (LL.B.) Harvard Law School (LL.M.) |
Profession | Senior Advocate Politician |
Signature | |
Website | Official website |
A University of Delhi and Harvard University graduate, Sibal has practiced law in Wall Street and held several important posts relating to law and administration including Additional Solicitor General, and President of Supreme Court Bar Association. Sibal first entered Rajya Sabha in 1998 to represent Bihar. Before that, he had unsuccessfully contested for the Lok Sabha against Sushma Swaraj. He later contested from Chandni Chowk and won in 2004 and 2009.
As a senior Indian National Congress member then, Sibal served under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a minister holding various portfolios over the years. As minister, he headed delegations of India in high-profile international forums. His actions in official capacity were controversial multiple times including when he undertook to regulate internet content. Sibal often was portrayed as an intellectual face of the Congress who batted for the party on television and in regular columns.
In the Supreme Court of India, he usually represented the Congress. He left the Indian National Congress in 2022 to file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha independently but backed by Samajwadi Party.