Saurav Pandey
September 12, 2024
Born on August 12, 1952, in Chennai, Yechury spent his initial years in Hyderabad before relocating to Delhi during the Telangana agitation in 1969.
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He attended Presidents Estate School in Delhi, where he achieved the top rank in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Higher Secondary Examination across India.
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Yechury excelled academically, graduating with first rank in BA (Hons) Economics from St. Stephen’s College and subsequently completing an MA in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
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He began a PhD at JNU but had to discontinue it after being detained during the Emergency period in 1975.
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Yechury became involved with the Students' Federation of India (SFI) in 1974 and joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) a year later.
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Elected President of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union three times, he was instrumental in cementing JNU’s reputation as a left-wing bastion.
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Yechury was arrested in 1975 during the Emergency due to his active political engagement.
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In 1984, he was elected to the Central Committee of the CPI(M) and gradually advanced within the party from 1978 to 1998.
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He played a significant role in crafting the common minimum programme for the United Front government in 1996.
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Yechury supported the Indo-US Nuclear Pact during negotiations after certain conditions were addressed, though Prakash Karat ultimately overruled his support.
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