{"id":19539,"date":"2024-02-19T12:35:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T12:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/2024\/02\/19\/mani-shankar-aiyar-wiki-age-wife-family-biography\/"},"modified":"2024-02-19T12:35:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T12:35:00","slug":"mani-shankar-aiyar-wiki-age-wife-family-biography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/en_us\/2024\/02\/19\/mani-shankar-aiyar-wiki-age-wife-family-biography\/","title":{"rendered":"Mani Shankar Aiyar Wiki, Age, Wife, Family, Biography"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-240149 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar\" width=\"451\" height=\"465\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>Mani Shankar Aiyar is an Indian politician, author, social worker, and former diplomat. He is associated with the Indian National Congress. Mani Shankar is known for criticizing opposing political parties and politicians, especially Narendra Modi.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"WikiBiography\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Wiki\/Biography<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>Mani Shankar Aiyar was born on Thursday, April 10, 1941.<strong>83 years old; As of 2024<\/strong>) at Laxmi Mansions, Lahore, British India (now Punjab, Pakistan). His zodiac sign is Aries. He attended school at Welham Boys&#8217; School, Dehradun and The Doon School, Dehradun. While studying at Doon School, Aiyar was the editor of The Doon School Weekly. He studied at St. Louis University, Delhi to pursue a bachelor&#8217;s degree in economics. Attended Stephen&#8217;s College. He later completed a two-year bachelor&#8217;s degree in economics at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge, at the Tripos in Economics (later to become a master&#8217;s degree in the Oxbridge tradition). At Cambridge University he was a member of Trinity Hall and the Marxist Society. While studying at Cambridge, Mani Shankar became involved in student politics and once contested a presidential election. Rajiv Gandhi, then a junior at Doon School and Cambridge University, supported him in the election.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_240153\" style=\"width: 492px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-240153\" class=\"wp-image-240153\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606544_494_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"An old photo of Mani Shankar Aiyar with Rajiv Gandhi.\" width=\"482\" height=\"316\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-240153\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An old photo of Mani Shankar Aiyar with Rajiv Gandhi.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>In the early 60s, he appeared for the civil service examination, passed it and chose the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). But he soon received a telegram saying he had been rejected. Apparently, British Intelligence sent a report to the Indian government about Mani Shankar&#8217;s radical days in England. Later, he rushed to Delhi and received a file containing Jawaharlal Nehru&#8217;s signature.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>I have heard good reports about Mani Shankar Aiyar. He may be sent to overseas service.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Physical_Appearance\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">physical appearance<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Height (approx.): <\/strong>5 feet 6 inches<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hair Color: <\/strong>salt and pepper<\/p>\n<p><strong>Eye Color: <\/strong>brown<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-240150\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606545_527_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar\" width=\"425\" height=\"333\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Family\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">family<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Parents_Siblings\"\/><strong>parents and siblings<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Mani Shankar Aiyar&#8217;s father Vaidyanatha Shankar Aiyar was a chartered accountant and died in a plane crash when Mani Shankar was 12 years old. His mother&#8217;s name is Bhagyalakshmi Shankar Aiyar. Mani&#8217;s mother worked as a teacher at Doon School after her husband&#8217;s death. He has an older brother, Swaminathan Aiyar, who is a journalist and columnist.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_240142\" style=\"width: 477px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-240142\" class=\"size-full wp-image-240142\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606545_438_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar&#039;s brother Swaminathan Aiyar\" width=\"467\" height=\"255\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-240142\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mani Shankar Aiyar&#8217;s brother Swaminathan Aiyar<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wife_Children\"\/><strong>wife and children<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Mani Shankar Aiyar married Suneet Vir Singh (also known as Suneet Mani Aiyar) on January 14, 1973. Suneet Vir Singh follows Sikhism. They have three daughters: Suranya Aiyar, a lawyer, Yamini Aiyar, a development consultant, and Sana Aiyar, an associate professor of history at MIT. Their daughter Yamini Aiyar married Congress leader S. Krishnakumar&#8217;s son Adarsh.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_240135\" style=\"width: 470px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-240135\" class=\"wp-image-240135\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606546_560_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar with his wife\" width=\"460\" height=\"294\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-240135\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mani Shankar Aiyar with his wife<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_240136\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-240136\" class=\"wp-image-240136\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606547_192_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Old photos of Mani Shankar&#039;s wife and daughters\" width=\"470\" height=\"445\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-240136\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Old photos of Mani Shankar&#8217;s wife and daughters<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_240137\" style=\"width: 426px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-240137\" class=\"wp-image-240137\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606547_410_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar&#039;s daughter Suranya Aiyar and her children\" width=\"416\" height=\"402\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-240137\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mani Shankar Aiyar&#8217;s daughter Suranya Aiyar and her children<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_240139\" style=\"width: 395px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-240139\" class=\"wp-image-240139\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606548_798_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar&#039;s daughter Yamini Aiyar with her husband and daughter\" width=\"385\" height=\"387\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-240139\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mani Shankar Aiyar&#8217;s daughter Yamini Aiyar with her husband and daughter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_240138\" style=\"width: 350px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-240138\" class=\"size-full wp-image-240138\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606548_856_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Sana Aiyar, daughter of Mani Shankar Aiyar\" width=\"340\" height=\"349\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-240138\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sana Aiyar, daughter of Mani Shankar Aiyar<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_Relatives\"\/><strong>other relatives<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Mani Shankar Aiyar&#8217;s niece Vidya Shankar Aiyar is a former news anchor who has worked at Channelnews Asia and CNN-IBN.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_240134\" style=\"width: 323px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-240134\" class=\"wp-image-240134\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606549_573_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar&#039;s niece Vidya Shankar Aiyar\" width=\"313\" height=\"470\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-240134\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mani Shankar Aiyar&#8217;s niece Vidya Shankar Aiyar<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Religion_Caste\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">religion and class<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>Mani Shankar Aiyar was born into a Hindu Brahmin family, but denies the caste into which he was born twice. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Address\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">address<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>12, Avaiyambalpuram, Mayiladuturai, Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, Pin Code- 609 001<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Signature\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">signature<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_239588\" style=\"width: 328px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-239588\" class=\"wp-image-239588\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606549_0_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Signature of Mani Shankar Aiyar\" width=\"318\" height=\"205\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-239588\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signature of Mani Shankar Aiyar<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Career\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">job<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Civil_Servant\"\/><strong>civil servant<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Mani Shankar Aiyar joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1963. From 1978 to 1982, he was appointed Pakistani diplomat and served as India&#8217;s first consul general in Karachi. In 1982, he was appointed Joint Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of External Affairs. He held that position for about a year. Shankar served as joint secretary in the Prime Minister&#8217;s Office from 1985 to 1989. He resigned from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in 1989 to pursue a career in politics and journalism.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Politician\"\/><strong>politician<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Mani Shankar Aiyar entered politics by joining the Indian National Congress in 1989. He served as Special Assistant to former Congress(I) President late Shri Rajiv Gandhi from 1989 to 1991. In 1991, he was elected as a member of the 10th Lok Sabha from Mayiladuthurai constituency in Tamil Nadu. In the same year he became a member of the Environment and Forestry Committee. A year later, he was elected to the All India Congress Committee (AICC).<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_241253\" style=\"width: 487px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-241253\" class=\"wp-image-241253\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606550_596_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar at the Indian National Assembly meeting\" width=\"477\" height=\"296\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-241253\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mani Shankar Aiyar at the Indian National Assembly meeting<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>From 1992 to 1996, he served as a member of the Human Resources Development Committee and the External Cooperation Committee. Mani Shankar contested the Indian general elections from Mayiladuthurai constituency in Tamil Nadu on the Indian National Congress ticket in 1996 and 1998, but lost. In 1998, he was appointed Secretary to the All India Congress Committee.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_241271\" style=\"width: 455px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-241271\" class=\"wp-image-241271\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606550_22_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar and Rahul Gandhi attended the event.\" width=\"445\" height=\"258\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-241271\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mani Shankar Aiyar and Rahul Gandhi attended the event.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>In 1999, he contested the general election from Mayiladuthurai constituency in Tamil Nadu on the ticket of the Indian National Congress and was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha. He served as a member of the Urban and Rural Development Committee from 1999 to 2004, and also served as a member of the Public Works Committee. On 23 May 2004, he was appointed Union Cabinet Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Union Cabinet Minister for Panchayati Raj.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_241263\" style=\"width: 595px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-241263\" class=\"wp-image-241263\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606551_56_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar takes oath as Union Cabinet Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas.\" width=\"585\" height=\"386\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-241263\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mani Shankar takes oath as Union Cabinet Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>During his tenure as Panchayati Raj Minister, Mani Shankar organized a roundtable meeting of seven state Panchayati Raj Ministers and helped them in signing MoUs with the state governments. He also recommended a roadmap for computerization of the PRI. He also persuaded the Planning Commission to make it mandatory to consult Panchayats while preparing district-level plans during the 11th Plan.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_241363\" style=\"width: 418px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-241363\" class=\"wp-image-241363\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606552_841_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar with Manmohan Singh at an event.\" width=\"408\" height=\"330\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-241363\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mani Shankar Aiyar with Manmohan Singh at an event.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>On January 28, 2006, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas lost its position, and two additional ministries, including the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Northeastern Development, were placed in charge. He then contested the Lok Sabha election from Mayiladuthurai constituency in Tamil Nadu on the Indian National Congress ticket but faced defeat. He was once nominated as a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_241277\" style=\"width: 549px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-241277\" class=\"wp-image-241277\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606552_897_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar at the event\" width=\"539\" height=\"348\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-241277\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mani Shankar Aiyar at the event<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Author\"\/><strong>author<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Mani Shankar Aiyar is a renowned political columnist with a special interest in grassroots democracy and Indian foreign policy. He has written and edited several books, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How to Be a Flatterer (1990)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Rajiv Gandhi: India&#8217;s greatest computer scientist (1991)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>A Year in Congress (1993)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Knickerwallahs, Silly-Billies, and Other Curious Creatures (1995)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Rajiv Gandhi&#8217;s India, Volume 4. (General Editor) (1997)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Confessions of a Secular Fundamentalist (2004)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>A Time of Transition: From Rajiv Gandhi to the 21st Century (2009)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Aceh Din? ha! ha! (2015)\n<div id=\"attachment_240155\" style=\"width: 481px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-240155\" class=\"wp-image-240155\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606553_579_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar during the launch of one of his books.\" width=\"471\" height=\"356\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-240155\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mani Shankar Aiyar during the launch of one of his books.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Memoirs of a Dictator: The First Fifty Years (1941-1991) (2023)\n<div id=\"attachment_241151\" style=\"width: 504px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-241151\" class=\"size-full wp-image-241151\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772606553_115_Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpg\" alt=\"Mani Shankar Aiyar&#039;s book Memoirs of A Maverick - The First 50 Years (1941-1991)\" width=\"494\" height=\"385\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-241151\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mani Shankar Aiyar&#8217;s book Memoirs of A Maverick: The First 50 Years (1941-1991)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Award\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">award<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u2018Outstanding National Assembly Award\u2019 by the then President of India, Pratibha Devisingh Patil (2006)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Controversies\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">controversy<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Comparing_Veer_Savarkar_With_Mohammed_Ali_Jinnah\"\/><strong>Compare Veer Savarkar and Mohammed Ali Jinnah<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>In 2004, Mani Shankar Aiyar traveled to the Andamans region while he was a cabinet minister. During his visit to the Cellular Jail in Andamans, Mani Shankar Aiyar compared Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar with Pakistan&#8217;s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, saying both shared a divisive philosophy. He also ordered the removal of Savarkar&#8217;s name and quotes from the memorial in Port Blair and suggested replacing them with quotes from Mahatma Gandhi. The incident has triggered a stir in Maharashtra&#8217;s Shiv Sena. The Indian National Congress later distanced itself from his views. <\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Criticised_For_Mocking_Hans_Raj_College_And_Kirori_Mal_College\"\/><strong>It was criticized for mocking Hans Raj College and Kirori Mal College.<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>In September he returned to his alma mater, St. Louis. Invited to Stephen&#8217;s College to speak on the topic &#8216;Governance and Corruption: Is Panchayati Raj the Solution?&#8217; While addressing the students, he went off topic and started making fun of Hansraj College and its graduate Ajay Maken and said that the only obstacle in Maken&#8217;s life was the college he attended. He also underestimated Kirori Mal College by saying that actor Amitabh Bachchan was KMC&#8217;s only achievement. When the excited students of Hansraj College approached Aiyar, he taunted them further. Afterwards, despite media inquiries about the incident, he refused to apologize and once again mocked the institution. <\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Condemned_For_His_%E2%80%98Chaiwala_Jibe_At_Narendra_Modi\"\/><strong>Narendra Modi found guilty over &#8216;Chaiwala&#8217; jibe<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Days before the 2014 Indian general elections, Mani Shankar Aiyar hinted at Narendra Modi at an event and said a tea seller could never become the Prime Minister of India. he said,<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>I promise you that Narendra Modi will never become the Prime Minister of this country in the 21st century. \u2026 \u201cBut if he wants to give away his tea here, we\u2019ll find a place for him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>His comments were criticized by many, and the Indian National Congress later distanced itself from his remarks, saying they were not the party&#8217;s personal opinions. <\/p>\n<h3><strong>Inappropriate remarks about the Paris attacks<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>In November 2015, after Paris suffered a deadly terrorist attack by ISIS, Mani Shankar claimed that the attacks were a response to France&#8217;s ban on the hijab. He justified the shooting of Charlie Hebdo as a response to the deaths of Muslims. However, party lawmakers were dissatisfied with his remarks and said he should clarify his position after careful consideration. <\/p>\n<h3><strong>Remarks against Narendra Modi on Pakistani TV channels<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>In a panel discussion on a Pakistan News channel in 2015, Mani Shankar Aiyar said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be removed from office to resume dialogue between India and Pakistan. His comments did not go down well with the Bharatiya Janata Party, which described the Congress as Pakistan&#8217;s agent of India. <\/p>\n<h3><strong>Inappropriate remarks against Narendra Modi<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>In December 2017, Mani Shankar Aiyar sparked a controversy by calling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi &#8216;neech aadmi&#8217;. Speaking during the event, Shankar said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>He (Modi) is a neech kism ka aadmi without sabhyata (citizenship).\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Prime Minister Modi hit back at Aiyar at an election rally in Surat, interpreting his remarks as referring to him being from Nichili Jathi (low caste). Following Aiyar&#8217;s comments, he was suspended from his primary membership in the Indian National Congress. Later, Shankar justified his comments about Modi as follows:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&quot;My Hindi is not very good. Yes, I called Modi &#8216;neech&#8217;. But I didn&#8217;t mean he was a mean person. I meant he was a mean person.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Threatened_A_Journalist\"\/><strong>threaten a reporter<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>In 2019, Mani Shankar Aiyar sparked controversy by punching reporters, pushing away their microphones and asking them not to ask any more questions during a media chat. Apparently, he lost control over the journalists who met him at the Punjab government guest house and threatened to beat them if they questioned him further. <\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Criticised_For_His_Jibe_At_Rashtriya_Swayamsevak_Sangh\"\/><strong>He was criticized for his ridicule by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>While addressing the public on the Parliament Foundation Day in 2022, Mani Shankar Aiyar accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of tearing India to pieces. he said,<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>On the basis of religion, language, caste and culture, the Sangh Parivar people have divided India into \u2018tukde tukde\u2019 (pieces). Yatra is fighting against their wrongdoings because there is a need to unite India. We feel it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>His comments sparked controversy and when a journalist asked whether India was divided? he answered.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>I can see that happening. Can\u2019t you see\u2026 \u201cI think they are making a lot of effort to break (the country).\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Criticised_For_Calling_Pakistanis_%E2%80%98The_Biggest_Assets_of_India\"\/><strong>Criticized for calling Pakistanis &#8216;India&#8217;s greatest asset&#8217;<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>While addressing the crowd on the second day of the Faiz Festival at Al Hamra in Lahore, Pakistan, in February 2024, Mani Shankar Aiyar described Pakistanis as India&#8217;s greatest asset. He also recalled the warm welcome he received in Pakistan during his time as Consul General in Karachi. he said,<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIn my experience, Pakistanis are probably people who overreact to each other. If we are friendly, they are overly friendly; if we are hostile, they are overly hostile. I have never been to a country where we have been welcomed with open arms as in Pakistan.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>At the event, he criticized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#8217;s refusal to engage in dialogue with Pakistan, calling it &quot;the biggest mistake.&#8221; His comments did not sit well with many Indians who condemned his comments. <\/p>\n<h3><strong>Chinese invasion remarks<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>At a Foreign Correspondents&#8217; Club event on May 28, 2024, he referred to the 1962 Indochina War as &quot;Chinese claims of aggression.&#8221; He was heavily criticized for the statement and Congress distanced itself from his statement. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Car_Collection\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">car collection<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>He owns a Maruti Suzuki SX4 2010 model and a Tata Sumo 1999 model.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Assets_Properties\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">assets and property<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Movable_Assets\"\/><strong>moving assets<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Bank deposit: Rs. 1,54,72,600<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Bonds, debentures and shares: Rs. 50,000<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>NSS, postal deposit: Rs. 8,03,584<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Car: Rs. 4,30,000<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Immovable_Assets\"\/><strong>real estate<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Residential Building: Rs. 1,00,00,000<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>memo:<\/strong> Estimates of movable and immovable property are as of 2014. Assets owned by the wife and dependents (minors) are excluded. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SalaryIncome\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">salary\/income<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>His total income during the 2012-2013 fiscal year was estimated at 160 million won. 88,91,638 rupees. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Net_Worth\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">net worth<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>During the financial year 2013-2014, Mani Shankar&#8217;s net worth was estimated at Rs. 2,22,74,508. Net assets of wife and dependents (minors) are excluded. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FactsTrivia\"\/><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Facts\/Quiz<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"\/><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Mani Shankar Aiyar likes reading, writing, and listening to music in his free time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>After the Partition of India, Lahore&#8217;s Laxmi Mansions, the house where Mani Shankar was born, was marked as refugee property after Partition. Later, the family of popular Pakistani writer and playwright Saadat Hassan Manto resided in this house. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>He wrote columns for many newspapers and periodicals in India and abroad.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>After his father&#8217;s death, the family&#8217;s financial situation worsened and Mani&#8217;s mother had to negotiate with the Doon School to reduce school fees, and in return he taught at the school.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Mani Shankar Aiyar is a member of Delhi Gymkhana Club and India International Center, New Delhi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Mani Shankar Aiyar was the founding president of the Society for Secularism. He once served as director of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. He was also a member of the steering committee of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>He has served as a member of the court in various universities including Visva Bharati (1991-96), Aligarh Muslim University (1991-96), Pondicherry University (1995-96) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (1999-2000).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>When the UPA government came to power in 2004, the then Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, wanted to hand over the economic portfolio to him. But Mani Shankar was hesitant to accept it. Later, after discussions with Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh established a new rural development ministry, Panchayati Raj, which was given to Aiyar.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>In January 2024, a complaint was filed against Mani Shankar&#8217;s daughter Suranya Aiyar over her social media posts criticizing the &#8216;Pran Pratishtha&#8217; ceremony held at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. In the post, she mentioned that she will observe a three-day fast from January 22, 2024, to support Muslims in India as she believes injustice is being committed against Muslims in the name of Hinduism and nationalism in Ayodhya. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Mani Shankar Aiyar often gives guest lectures to students at various educational institutions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>In 2007, when Aiyar was in charge of sports and youth affairs in India, he publicly opposed Delhi&#8217;s bid to host the 2014 Asian Games, saying it was better for India to spend money building sports facilities for the poor rather than hosting sporting events. Aiyar&#8217;s remarks played a decisive role in losing the right to host the Asian Games. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>In an interview, Mani Shankar Aiyar said that he has visited Pakistan more than 40 times in his life. He also mentioned that Pakistan is his second favorite country. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"saboxplugin-wrap\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"author\">\n<div class=\"saboxplugin-tab\">\n<div class=\"saboxplugin-gravatar\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/umang.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mani-Shankar-Aiyar-Wiki-Age-Wife-Family-Biography.jpeg\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" alt=\"\" itemprop=\"image\" title=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"saboxplugin-desc\">\n<div itemprop=\"description\">\n<p>A meticulous proofreader with a keen eye for grammar, punctuation, and clarity. We do our best to polish our content to perfection and maintain a professional tone throughout.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mani Shankar Aiyar is an Indian politician, author, social worker, and former diplomat. He is associated with the Indian National Congress. Mani Shankar is known for criticizing opposing political parties and politicians, especially Narendra Modi. Wiki\/Biography Mani Shankar Aiyar was born on Thursday, April 10, 1941.83 years old; As of 2024) at Laxmi Mansions, Lahore, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[12733],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19539\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}