Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore: Difference between revisions

[[Colonel]] '''Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore''', {{post-nominals|list=[[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal|AVSM]]}}, (born 29 January 1970) is an Indian politician, [[Olympic medallists|Olympic medallist]], former shooting athlete and retired [[Indian Army]] officer. Rathore is a [[Member of parliament, Lok Sabha|Member of Parliament]] in the [[17th Lok Sabha]] from [[Jaipur Rural (Lok Sabha constituency)|Jaipur Rural]] seat. He served as the [[Minister of State (Independent Charge)]] for [[Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports]] in the [[Government of India]] till May 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elections.in/political-leaders/colonel-rajyavardhan-singh-rathore.html/|title=Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Biography – About family, political life, awards won, history|website=Elections in India}}</ref>

In November 2014, was made the [[Minister of State]] for [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Information and Broadcasting]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vincent|first1=Pheroze|title=Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore: Olympian finds a place|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rajyavardhan-singh-rathore-olympian-finds-a-place/article6581209.ece|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=28 February 2017|date=10 November 2014}}</ref> Rathore was appointed as a [[Cabinet Minister (India)|Cabinet minister]] with independent charge for [[Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports]] in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ravinder|first1=Singh|title=Sports Minister |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rajyavardhan-rathore-appointed-indias-new-sports-minister/articleshow/60348118.cms|work=The Times of India|access-date=3 September 2017|date=3 September 2017}}</ref>

Rathore was born in [[Jaisalmer]], [[Rajasthan]] to Colonel Lakshman Singh Rathore (Retd) and Manju Rathore on 29 January 1970.<ref name="Profile"/><ref name=ht0917/>

He married Gayatri Rathore on 16 February 1997, a doctor by profession in the [[Indian Army]]. They have a son and a daughter.<ref name="Profile">{{cite web |title=Members : Lok Sabha |url=http://164.100.47.194/Loksabha/Members/MemberBioprofile.aspx?mpsno=4782 |website=164.100.47.194 |access-date=8 November 2020}}</ref><ref name=ht0917/>

Rathore is a graduate of the 77th Course of the [[National Defence Academy]].<ref>https://nda.nic.in/ndaaa/eminentpersonality.php</ref> After graduating from the NDA, Rathore attended the [[Indian Military Academy]] where he was awarded with the Sword of Honor for the best all-round Gentleman Cadet. He was also the recipient of the Sikh Regiment Gold Medal, awarded to the best sportsman of the course.<ref name=ht0917/>

He was later commissioned in the 9th Grenadiers (Mewar) Regiment on 15 December 1990. He was promoted to lieutenant on 15 December 1992 and to captain on 15 December 1995.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1871  |date=9 October 1993 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=390  |date=23 March 1996 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> Rathore fought in the [[Kargil War]],<ref name="smart_rather_hard"/> and was promoted to major on 15 December 2000.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1464  |date=15 December 2001 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> As part of his career in the [[Indian Army]], he served in Jammu and Kashmir, where he participated in counter-terrorist operations. His regiment was awarded with the Army Chief's Citation and the Governor of J&K's Citation for exemplary work.<ref name=ht0917/> He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 16 December 2004,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=2419  |date=3 December 2005 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and to his final rank of colonel on 1 May 2009.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=2207  |date=27 November 2010 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

At the [[2002 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Manchester]], Rathore won a gold medal and set a new Commonwealth Games Record of 192 targets out of 200, which still stands. He also won the Team Gold Medal along with [[Moraad Ali Khan]]. Rathore, went on to successfully defend his Commonwealth Champion title by winning the gold medal at the [[Commonwealth Games 2006|Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006]]. He also won the Silver in the Team event with [[Vikram Bhatnagar]]. He won gold medals in two [[World Shooting Championships]], at Sydney in 2004 and Cairo in 2006.

In 2006, Rathore won a bronze medal in the World Championship in Spain, an event held for the top 12 shooters of the world. He was ranked third in the world for the most of 2003 and 2004 and briefly climbed to the first in early 2004 and second after the Athens Olympics. He won a Silver at the World Championship in 2003 in Sydney for India after a gap of nearly 40 years.<ref name=ht0917/> India had not seen a victory since Karni Singh of Bikaner, who won a Silver at the 1962 World shooting Championship in Cairo. Rathore is accredited for winning the Asian Clay Target Gold Medal for four times in a row from 2003 to 2006. He also holds an Individual Bronze Medal which at the [[Asian Games 2006]] in Doha.

Between 2002 and 2006 he won 25 International Medals at various championships for Double Trap.

</ref> He was appointed as the Minister of Sports on 3 September 2017. In May 2018, he became Minister of State (I/C) for Information & Broadcasting.

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[[Category:Recipients of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna]]

[[Category:16th Lok Sabha members]]

[[Category:17th Lok Sabha members]]