Deepender Singh Hooda

Deepender Singh Hooda (born 4 January 1978)[1] is an Indian politician and four-term MP from the Indian National Congress, who is the current Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha representing Haryana. He also served three terms as Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha from Rohtak (2005–2019). He is a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee,[2] the highest decision making body of the Indian National Congress.

Deepender Singh Hooda
Deepender Singh Hooda
Member of Parliament Rajya Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 April 2020
Preceded by	Selja Kumari, INC
Constituency	Haryana
Member of Parliament Lok Sabha
In office 2005 – 23 May 2019
Preceded by	Bhupinder Singh Hooda, INC
Succeeded by	Arvind Kumar Sharma, BJP
Constituency	Rohtak
Personal details
Born	4 January 1978 Delhi, India
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse(s)	Sweta Mirdha Hooda
Father	Bhupinder Singh Hooda
Residence	Delhi, India
Education	Post Graduate
Profession	Political and Social Worker

In his 15 years as the Rohtak MP, he helped set up an IIM, India's largest cancer institute at Jhajjar, an IIT extension campus, besides the 5,500 acre IMT, Rohtak which has companies like Maruti Suzuki, Asian Paints, Suzuki Motorcycles and others, attracting an investment of Rs 5,000 crore, besides setting up FDDI and IHM in his constituency. He continues to be engaged in academics and was named a Leader-in-Residence at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, Bloomington – its Poling Chair of Business and Government.

He is the fourth generation of his family to be in public service: His father Bhupinder Singh Hooda served as the Chief Minister of Haryana for two terms while his grandfather, Ranbir Singh Hooda, was a freedom fighter, a member of the Constituent Assembly, member of the 1st and 2nd Lok Sabha from Rohtak,[3] and Minister in Punjab (when Haryana was part of Punjab)[4] and a member of Rajya Sabha. His great grandfather Choudhary Matu Ram was a social reformer and a freedom fighter who worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi.

Hooda was the youngest parliamentarian when he entered politics in 2005.[5] He writes frequently on Indian economics and international affairs in the Indian Express and other prominent publications.[6]

Political career

Hooda was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2020 and was earlier elected to the Lok Sabha from Rohtak for three terms. During the 16th Lok Sabha, he was the Whip of Indian National Congress in Parliament.[7] He also served on several other statutory and parliamentary bodies in various capacities as an elected board member of the Council of Indian Institutes of Technology; as a Member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy; as chairman of Indo-UK forum of Parliamentarians. In past, he has been a member of Parliamentary Standing Committees of Finance, External Affairs, Agriculture and Human Resource Development.[8]

SI No.	Year	House	Constituency	Party	Committee
1.	2005 (By Poll)	14th Lok Sabha	Rohtak	INC	Consultative Committee on External Affairs. Committee on Agriculture.
2.	2009	15th Lok Sabha	Rohtak	INC	Standing Committee on Human Resource Development. Committee on Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme.
3.	2014	16th Lok Sabha	Rohtak	INC	Standing Committee on Energy.
Lost the election in 2019 to BJP's Arvind Kumar Sharma.
4.	2020	Rajya Sabha	Haryana	INC

Corporate career

Deepender had worked in various companies in India and the United States, before being elected to the Lok Sabha in 2005, at the age of 27. He started his professional career with Reliance Industries Ltd, (1999- 2000) as a management trainee and then worked as a software engineer with Infosys Technologies Ltd, (2000–2001) at their campus in Bengaluru.

He then took a break to finish his MBA at Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, where he majored in finance and strategy. After his MBA, he joined American Airlines/Sabre Holdings, Dallas, USA as a senior manager (2003–2005).[9] He was offered a job at McKinsey & Company and came to India to take a short break between jobs but then decided to move to public service. He contested and won the Lok Sabha by-election from Rohtak in October, 2005.

Education

Deepender Hooda holds a Bachelor of Technology and Master of Business Administration and a bachelor's degree in law. He did his engineering from the Technological Institute of Textile & Sciences, Bhiwani, then managed by the Birla Education Trust. He did his MBA from Kelley School of Business at the Indiana University, Bloomington, where he majored in Finance and Strategy. At the Indiana University, he was awarded honorary Beta Gamma Sigma (top 1% of class) and was elected president of Asian Students Association at University in a unanimous vote. During this period, he successfully led team of Asian students from the top 15 business schools in United States in holding `Asian Business Conference` at Harvard Business School.[8]

He holds a law degree from the prestigious Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi (2016–17 to 2019–20).

He attended school at Mayo College, Ajmer,[10] Delhi Public School, RK Puram and Model School, Rohtak.

Awards

World Economic Forum's Young Global Leader (YGL): He was named as a Young Global Leader in the year 2011.[11]

MIT's Bharat Asmita Jana Pratinidhi Shreshta award: In 2010 he received Bharat Asmita Jana Pratinidhi Shreshta award for the best young exponent of parliamentary practices for his work towards rural development through education and power generation.[12] He received the Shresth Sansad Award in 2019[13]

Personal life

Deepender Hooda married Sweta Mirdha, granddaughter of Nathuram Mirdha who was one the tallest leaders of the Indian National Congress in Rajasthan.[14] Her older sister, Jyoti Mirdha, is a former Congress MP from Nagaur in Rajasthan. Jyoti Mirdha is married to Narendra Gehlaut-Vice Chairman Indiabulls Real Estate. Sweta and Deepender have a young son Kesarbir who has started school.

Hooda was earlier married to Geeta Grewal, they divorced in 2005.

See also

• Dynastic politics of Haryana

References

1. "Fourteenth Lok Sabha Members Bioprofile". Archived from the original on 8 December 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
2. "Indian National Congress - Congress Working Committee". Indian National Congress. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
3. "Members Bioprofile". loksabhaph.nic.in. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
4. Singh, Aastha (1 February 2019). "Chaudhary Ranbir Singh Hooda, who was minister in Punjab & Haryana and went to jail 5 times". ThePrint. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
5. The prince man: Deepender Singh Hooda, India Today, 30 November 2013.
6. "Deepender Hooda". The Indian Express. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
7. World Economic Forum
8. Detailed Profile: Deepender Singh Hooda
9. "Detailed Profile - Shri Deepender Singh Hooda - Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha) - Who's Who - Government: National Portal of India". archive.india.gov.in. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
10. "Deepinder Singh Hooda's assets pegged over Rs 35 crore". The Indian Express. 22 March 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
11. Twelve Indians Among Young Global Leaders, Rediff.
12. Award for Sainath, Narayana Murthy, The Hindu, 22 January 2010.
13. "दीपेंद्र हुड्डा को फिर मिला श्रेष्ठ सांसद का सम्मान, हरियाणा के लोगों को किया समर्पित". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Retrieved 21 August 2020.
14. "Rohtak town geared up for wedding of Hooda's son". Thaindian News. IANS. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2013.