Pema Khandu

Pema Khandu (born 21 August 1979) is an Indian politician and the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.

He is the son of former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Dorjee Khandu.

Pema Khandu, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, India, was born on August 21, 1979, in Tawang.

He attended Government Secondary School in Bomba, Tawang, where he completed his schooling in 1995.

Subsequently, he pursued his higher secondary education at Donyi-Polo Vidya Bhawan in Itanagar, completing it in 1997.

His academic journey took a significant turn when he enrolled at Hindu College, Delhi University, to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in History.

In 2000, he successfully graduated, marking the completion of his formal education.

His educational background significantly influenced his perspective and laid the foundation for his subsequent political career.

Post his father's death, Khandu was included in the state government as Cabinet Minister for Water Resource Development and Tourism.

He became second Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh of Bharatiya Janata Party in Arunachal Pradesh after 44 days Gegong Apang led government in 2003.

Khandu became a secretary of the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee in 2005 and the Tawang District Congress Committee president in 2010.

Khandu is the eldest son of former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, who died in a helicopter accident on 30 April 2011 on a constituency visit to Tawang.

He is a graduate from Hindu College (Delhi University).

Khandu is a Buddhist by religion.

He has two sons and two daughters.

Pema Khandu hails from the Monpa tribe, an indigenous community primarily residing in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India.

The Monpas are known for their rich cultural heritage, which includes vibrant festivals, traditional dance forms, and unique rituals.

He won the by election to his father's constituency uncontested Mukto on 30 June 2011 as an Indian National Congress candidate.

Khandu was re-elected unopposed from Mukto in the 2014 Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election.

Since assuming the office of the Chief Minister in July 2016, he and his government have twice changed their party affiliation; in September from the Indian National Congress to the Peoples Party of Arunachal, and then in December 2016 to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Previously he had served as Minister of Tourism, Urban Development and Water Resources in Nabam Tuki's government.

He was elected Congress Legislature Party leader on 16 July 2016 replacing Nabam Tuki.

Khandu took the oath as the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh on 17 July 2016 at the age of 36 years following a year-long political crisis.

On 16 September 2016, 43 MLAs from the ruling party, under the CM Pema Khandu, defected from Indian National Congress to People's Party of Arunachal, an ally of Bharatiya Janata Party.

On 21 December 2016 in a high octane drama Khandu was suspended from the party by the party president and Takam Pario was named as the next likely Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh replacing Khandu after People's Party of Arunachal suspended Khandu along with 6 other MLAs.

In December 2016, Khandu proved majority on the floor of the house with 33 of the People's Party of Arunachal’s 43 legislators joining the Bharatiya Janata Party as the BJP increased its strength to 45 with support of two independents as it had 11 MLAs already.

Pema Khandu assumed office as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh on July 17, 2016.

State's administrative landscape saw a transformation with inclusive and transparent governance.

In 2018, the government of Arunachal Pradesh initiated the "Arunachal Rising Campaign" to highlight key state and central flagship programs at the grassroots level.

Since its inception, extensive efforts have been undertaken in the remotest corners of each district to raise awareness among the beneficiaries.

The Chief Minister visited every district, addressing mass public rallies during the Jan Sampark Yatra.

During these rallies, ASHA members, Anganwadi workers, and progressive farmers were honored, while Gram Preraks (Publicity Agents) were appointed for each CD Block to disseminate information about state and central government flagship programs in villages where awareness was lacking.

As part of this comprehensive campaign, teachers from secondary and higher secondary schools were designated as communicators to share information about government flagship programs and sensitize school children under the Chief Minister's Youth Outreach Programme.

This concerted effort aimed to ensure that the benefits of various schemes reached even the most remote areas of the state.

Introduced in 2018, Sarkar Aapke Dwar (Government at Your Doorstep) stands as Arunachal Pradesh government's expansive initiative for public outreach and grievance redressal.

Led by Deputy Commissioners at the district level, the program entails Jan-Sunwai camps in blocks and panchayats on the first day of each month, addressing and resolving people's grievances on the spot.

This initiative has now been termed as 'Seva Apke Dwar'.

The primary objective of Jan-Sunwai Sammelan is to streamline government services, offering citizens hassle-free access.

In 2019 Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, Khandu won a landslide victory for Bharatiya Janata Party by winning 41 of 60 seats and its allies Janata Dal (United) with 7 states and National People's Party won 4 seats.

Khandu took oath as Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister on 29 May 2019.