Mr Chaman Lal Gupta has taken over as the new Minister of State for Defence. While addressing the mediapersons after assuming the office at South Block, Mr Chaman Lal Gupta said that as far as Indo-Pak relations are concerned, the first priority of the government is to check cross-border terrorism and infiltration. Before taking over the present charge, Mr Gupta was holding independent charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries as Minister of State.

Mr Gupta has been elected to Lok Sabha from Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir in 1998 for the third consecutive term. He was a member of J&K Legislative Assembly from 1972 to 1977.

The MoS, Defence was born on April 13, 1934 in Kaleeth village near Jammu. After completing his formal education from Jammu and Allahabad, Mr Gupta taught at Gandhi Memorial College, Jammu from 1962 to 1971. In 1971, he was transferred to Udhampur Degree College from where he resigned a year later to join active politics. He has played a significant role in the rehabilitation of the refugees in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Gupta is widely travelled and takes keen interest in reading and writing. Married to Mrs Rekha, Mr Gupta has two sons and a daughter.