<Tr> <Th> Formation </Th> <Td> 2 September 1946 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Minister of Defence is the head of the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India . They are often assisted by a Minister of State for Defence and less - commonly, the lower - ranked Deputy Minister of Defence . The defence minister additionally serves as President of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, and as Chancellor of the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology and of the National Defence University . </P> <P> The first defence minister of independent India was Baldev Singh, who served in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet during 1947--52 . Nirmala Sitharaman, the current defence minister of India is the second woman since Indira Gandhi to hold this major post . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> No </Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Portrait </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Term of office </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Political party (Alliance) </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Prime Minister </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Baldev Singh <P> (1902--1961) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 2 September 1946 </Td> <Td> 10 May 1952 </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Jawaharlal Nehru </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Kailash Nath Katju <P> (1887--1968) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1955 </Td> <Td> 1957 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> V.K. Krishna Menon <P> (1896--1974) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1957 </Td> <Td> 1962 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Yashwantrao Chavan <P> (1913--1984) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1962 </Td> <Td> 1966 </Td> <Td> Jawaharlal Nehru Lal Bahadur Shastri Indira Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Swaran Singh <P> (1907--1994) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1966 </Td> <Td> 1970 </Td> <Td> Indira Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> Jagjivan Ram <P> (1908--1986) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1970 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> (5) </Td> <Td> Swaran Singh <P> (1907--1994) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> Indira Gandhi <P> (1917--1984) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> Bansi Lal <P> (1927--2006) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 21 December 1975 </Td> <Td> 24 March 1977 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> (6) </Td> <Td> Jagjivan Ram <P> (1908--1986) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 24 March 1977 </Td> <Td> 28 July 1979 </Td> <Td> Janata Party </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Morarji Desai </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> Chidambaram Subramaniam <P> (1910--2000) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 28 July 1979 </Td> <Td> 14 January 1980 </Td> <Td> Janata Party (Secular) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Charan Singh </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> (7) </Td> <Td> Indira Gandhi <P> (1917--1984) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 16 January 1980 </Td> <Td> 15 January 1982 </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indira Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> R. Venkataraman <P> (1910--2009) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 15 January 1982 </Td> <Td> 2 August 1984 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> Shankarrao Chavan <P> (1920--2004) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 2 August 1984 </Td> <Td> 31 December 1984 </Td> <Td> Indira Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> P.V. Narasimha Rao <P> (1921--2004) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 31 December 1984 </Td> <Td> 25 September 1985 </Td> <Td> Rajiv Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> Rajiv Gandhi <P> (1944--1991) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 September 1985 </Td> <Td> 24 January 1987 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> V.P. Singh <P> (1931--2008) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 24 January 1987 </Td> <Td> 12 April 1987 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> K.C. Pant <P> (1931--2012) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 12 April 1987 </Td> <Td> 1 December 1989 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> (14) </Td> <Td> V.P. Singh <P> (1931--2008) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 2 December 1989 </Td> <Td> 10 November 1990 </Td> <Td> Janata Dal (National Front) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Himself </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> Chandra Shekhar <P> (1927--2007) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 10 November 1990 </Td> <Td> 21 June 1991 </Td> <Td> Samajwadi Janata Party (National Front) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Himself </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> Sharad Pawar <P> (born 1940) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 21 June 1991 </Td> <Td> 6 March 1993 </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> P.V. Narasimha Rao </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> (12) </Td> <Td> P.V. Narasimha Rao <P> (1921--2004) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 6 March 1993 </Td> <Td> 16 May 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> Pramod Mahajan <P> (1949--2006) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 16 May 1996 </Td> <Td> 1 June 1996 </Td> <Td> Bharatiya Janata Party </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Atal Bihari Vajpayee </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> Mulayam Singh Yadav <P> (born 1939) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 June 1996 </Td> <Td> 19 March 1998 </Td> <Td> Samajwadi Party (United Front) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> H.D. Deve Gowda I.K. Gujral </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> George Fernandes <P> (born 1930) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 19 March 1998 </Td> <Td> 16 March 2001 </Td> <Td> Samata Party (National Democratic Alliance) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Atal Bihari Vajpayee </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> Jaswant Singh <P> (born 1938) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 16 March 2001 </Td> <Td> 21 October 2001 </Td> <Td> Bharatiya Janata Party (National Democratic Alliance) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> (20) </Td> <Td> George Fernandes <P> (born 1930) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 21 October 2001 </Td> <Td> 22 May 2004 </Td> <Td> Samata Party Janata Dal (National Democratic Alliance) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> Pranab Mukherjee <P> (born 1935) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 22 May 2004 </Td> <Td> 24 October 2006 </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress (United Progressive Alliance) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Manmohan Singh </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> A.K. Antony <P> (born 1940) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 24 October 2006 </Td> <Td> 26 May 2014 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> Arun Jaitley <P> (born 1952) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 26 May 2014 </Td> <Td> 9 November 2014 </Td> <Td> Bharatiya Janata Party (National Democratic Alliance) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Narendra Modi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> Manohar Parrikar <P> (born 1955) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 9 November 2014 </Td> <Td> 13 March 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> (24) </Td> <Td> Arun Jaitley <P> (born 1952) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 13 March 2017 </Td> <Td> 3 September 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> Nirmala Sitharaman <P> (born 1959) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 3 September 2017 </Td> <Td> Incumbent </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who was the first woman defence minister of india