Dr. Shashi Tharoor

Shashi‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Tharoor is an Indian politician and diplomat, a writer, and a Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, by the Indian National Congress. He is a widely recognized personality for his command over language, a broad vision, and big contributions to India's foreign policy and education as a minister of state for external affairs and a former UN Under-Secretary General.

Moreover, he has become a significant name in literature with his various well-regarded books about politics, history, and Indian ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌society.

By Rashmi | Friday, February 6, 2026, 11:28:04 AM [IST]

Dr. Shashi Tharoor Biography

Shashi‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Tharoor was a native of London. But he was brought up in India, and after finishing his education in St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, he achieved his dream in the field of International Relations by obtaining his Ph.D. from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. In 1978, he became a part of the United Nations, and thereafter, he had a notable career spanning 29 years. During that time, he held important positions such as Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.

In 2009, Tharoor made a switch to the political Indian scene and was chosen as the Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, representing the Congress party. He was appointed the Minister of State for External Affairs (2009–2010), and in the subsequent period, he was promoted to the post of Minister of State for Human Resource Development (2012–2014). The time of his leadership was characterized by the fact that he used a new, reform-oriented style and was abroad championing India’s place in global diplomacy.

Besides his political career, Tharoor is a great writer and a motivating speaker. His books, such as The Great Indian Novel, An Era of Darkness, and The Paradoxical Prime Minister, have been praised for their humor as well as for providing deep historical knowledge. Tharoor, who has a highly polished English and is very attractive in a literary way, continues to be one of the most looked-up-to and intellectually influential political figures that India ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌has.

Dr. Shashi Tharoor Personal Life

Full Name	Dr. Shashi Tharoor
Date of Birth	09 Mar 1956 (Age 70)
Place of Birth	London (England)
Party Name	Indian National Congress
Education	Doctorate
Profession	Diplomat Writer, International Civil Servant
Father's Name	Chandran Tharoor
Mother's Name	Lily Tharoor
Spouse's Name	Tilottama Mukherji (divorced), Christa Giles (divorced), Late Sunanda Pushkar
Children	2 Son(s)
Religion	Hindu
Caste	Nair
Website	http://shashitharoor.in/

Dr. Shashi Tharoor Net Worth

Net Worth

₹56.07 CRORE

ASSETS

₹56.07 CRORE

Liabilities

N/A

Education Qualification of Dr. Shashi Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor obtained his post graduate degree from St. Stephen's College, Delhi in 1975 and doctorate in International Relations rom the prestigious Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of the Tufts University.

Interesting Facts about Dr. Shashi Tharoor

Tharoor is a Columnist and Writer, for Indian and International Publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, Guardian etc. He also served as Contributing Editor and Occasional columnist to Newsweek International. In 2006, the government of India nominated Tharoor for the post of UN Secretary-General. Tharoor finished second, behind Ban Ki-moon of South Korea.
Shashi Tharoor is the only Indian MP who was called at the British Parliament to deliver a speech. He spoke over there for five minutes over British rule in India and termed it as the 'Black Era.' Surprisingly, the British parliamentarians accepted his perspective.

Political Timeline of Dr. Shashi Tharoor

2025: Continued serving as MP for Thiruvananthapuram and became Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs.
2024: Won re-election from Thiruvananthapuram, defeating Rajeev Chandrasekhar (BJP) by over 16,000 votes.
2024: He contested from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency.
2019: Tharoor made a hat-trick of victory from Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency as a Congress MP. He defeated BJP candidate Kummanam Rajashekharan by a margin of 99989 votes.
2014: He was re-elected from Thiruvananthapuram, defeating O. Rajagopal of the Bharatiya Janata Party by a margin of around 15,700 votes.
2012: Tharoor was reinducted into the cabinet as Union Minister of State, Human Resource Development.
2010: He was sworn in as a Member, Committee on External Affairs.
2009: He was appointed Union Minister of State, External Affairs in the Manmohan Singh Administration.
2009: Tharoor was elected to 15th Lok Sabha from Thiruvantapuram in Kerala where he defeated P. Ramachandran Nair of the Communist Party of India by a margin of 1,00000 votes.

Dr. Shashi Tharoor Early Life

1989: He was appointed a special assistant to the Under-Secretary-General for Special Political Affairs, the unit that later became the Peacekeeping Operations Department in New York.
1978: He was a staff member of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva.

Dr. Shashi Tharoor Achievements

Tharoor has authored 18 bestselling books, bot in the realm of fiction and non-fiction. He's an acclaimed writer who's contributed as a columnist and editor to various revered publications across the world.
He awarded by Sahitya Akademi Award for his book, An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India in 2019.

Election Results of Dr. Shashi Tharoor

Year	Election	Type	Constituency	Result
2019	Parliament election	MP	Thiruvananthapuram	Won
2014	Parliament election	MP	Thiruvananthapuram	Won
2009	Parliament election	MP	Thiruvananthapuram	Won

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs on Dr. Shashi Tharoor)

Who was the first wife of Shashi Tharoor
Tilottama Mukherji was the first wife of Dr. Shashi Tharoor.
How many times did Shashi Tharoor get married?
Shashi Tharoor got married for 3 times. First with Tilottama Mukherji, married in 1981 and divorced in in 2006. Second with Christa Giles, married in 2007; divorced in 2010 The last one with Sunanda Pushkar, married in 2010, and lost her in 2014.
How many books Shashi Tharoor has written so far?
Dr. Shashi Tharoor has written 23 books so far which includes fiction and non-fiction both.

Dr. Shashi Tharoor Latest News & Updates

Shashi Tharoor extended his full support to Mallikarjun Kharge

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor recently showed his full support and cooperation to Mallikarjun Kharge.
As Kharge today took oath as the new president of the Indian National Congress, after defeating Tharoor in elections.
Mr. Tharoor also wrote via Twitter, 'Warmest congratulations to Shri Mallikarjun @kharge ji on his official assumption of the duties of
@INCIndia president, and best wishes for his success. *LIVE* I am at AICC Headquarters, 24 Akbar Road, New Delhi.'
Here's how Shashi Tharoor reacted after losing the Presidential Elections

Senior INC politician Shashi Tharoor got defeated the Congress Presidential Elections by Mallikarjun Kharge today.
Post announcement, Mr. Tharoor congratulated to the new Congress chief via his verified Twitter handle.
As he wrote, 'It is a great honour & a huge responsibility to be President of @INCIndia &I wish @Kharge ji all success in that task.'
Tharoor ji further added,'It was a privilege to have received the support of over a thousand colleagues,
& to carry the hopes& aspirations of so many well-wishers of Congress across India.'

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