Who is Bobby Jindal? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Piyush Jindal

Age: 53 Years, 53 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Supriya Jolly Jindal

father: Amar Jindal

mother: Raj Jindal

children: Selia Elizabeth Jindal, Shaan Robert Jindal, Slade Ryan Jindal

Political Leaders American Men

political ideology: Political party - Republican

Ancestry: Indian American

Notable Alumni: New College, Oxford

City: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

U.S. State: Louisiana

Ideology: Republicans

More Facts

education: Brown University, New College, Oxford

Recommended For You

1

Is Bobby Jindal still in politics?

No, Bobby Jindal is no longer in politics. He served as the Governor of Louisiana from 2008 to 2016 and has since focused on other endeavors.
2

What are Bobby Jindal's views on healthcare?

Bobby Jindal has been a vocal critic of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and has advocated for a more market-based approach to healthcare reform, including promoting health savings accounts and increasing consumer choice.
3

Did Bobby Jindal run for President of the United States?

Yes, Bobby Jindal ran for President of the United States in the 2016 election but suspended his campaign in November 2015 after failing to gain sufficient support.
4

What is Bobby Jindal's stance on education reform?

Bobby Jindal has been a proponent of school choice and education reform, advocating for charter schools, voucher programs, and increased accountability for schools and teachers.
5

How did Bobby Jindal respond to natural disasters during his time as Governor of Louisiana?

Bobby Jindal received both praise and criticism for his handling of natural disasters such as hurricanes and the BP oil spill during his tenure as Governor of Louisiana, with some commending his leadership and others questioning his decisions and management.

Recommended Lists:

Childhood & Early Life

Bobby Jindal was born on June 10, 1971 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Amar and Raj Jindal. His parents were immigrants from Punjab, India. He has one younger brother.

He went to Baton Rouge Magnet High School where he proved to be a good student. He graduated at the top of his class in 1988. He was a talented tennis player and displayed entrepreneurial skills.

He attended Brown University where he had two majors, biology and public policy. He graduated in 1991 at the age of 20.

He was accepted into many prestigious institutions for his higher education and chose to study at New College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar. He received an M.Litt. degree in political science with an emphasis in health policy from the University of Oxford in 1994.

Continue Reading Below

Recommended Lists:

American Political Leaders

Career

Bobby Jindal joined the consulting firm McKinsey & Company after completing his studies. He then interned at the office of U.S. Representative Jim McCrery of Louisiana where he worked on healthcare policy.

McCrery introduced Jindal to Governor Murphy Foster in 1993. Foster appointed Jindal as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals in 1996. Jindal impressed Foster with his in-depth medical knowledge and sincerity.

During Jindal’s tenure, Louisiana's Medicaid program went from bankruptcy with a $400 million deficit into three years of surpluses totaling $220 million. His tenure also saw a rise in child immunization and introduction of new and expanded services for the elderly and the disabled.

President George W. Bush nominated him to be Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Planning and Evaluation in 2001. In this position, he served as the principal policy adviser to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. He resigned in 2003 to run for the governor of Louisiana.

He lost the 2003 election for Louisiana governor though he gained much visibility and prominence during the campaigning. He became a well-known figure on the state's political scene and a rising star within the Republican party.

In 2004, he ran for Louisiana's 1st congressional district and won with 78 percent of the vote. Jindal won re-election to a second term with 88 percent of the vote in 2006.

He again ran for the governor of Louisiana in 2007, and this time won the election with 54 percent of the vote. He assumed office on 14 January, 2008. In this position he oversaw the mass evacuation of people in August 2008 prior to the Louisiana landfall of Hurricane Gustav and received praise for his leadership during the time of crisis.

He ran for re-election in the Louisiana gubernatorial election in 2011. This time he faced four Democrats, a Libertarian and four independents. A popular governor, he easily won the election with 66 percent of the vote in the first round.

After the presidential election in 2012, Jindal was listed as a possible Republican candidate for the 2016 Presidency. After thinking over the decision for a few years, he announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for presidency in June 2015.

Continue Reading Below

Major Works

Bobby Jindal received a lot of praise for the way he handled the situation in August 2008 prior to the Louisiana landfall of Hurricane Gustav. He issued mandatory evacuation orders for the state's coastal areas and oversaw one of the largest evacuations in U.S. history. His timely actions ensured that the loss of life due to the natural disaster was minimized, with only 16 deaths in the U.S.

Awards & Achievements

Jindal received the Samuel S. Beard Award given annually by Jefferson Awards for greatest public service by an individual 35 years old or under, in 1998.

In 2011, he received the Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award for "outstanding public service” from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Personal Life & Legacy

Bobby Jindal married Supriya Jolly in 1997. The couple has three children. Their son Shaan was born with a congenital heart defect and had surgery as an infant. They are outspoken advocates for children with congenital defects, particularly those without insurance.

Top 10 Facts You Did Not Know About Bobby Jindal

Originally named Piyush, Jindal chose to call himself “Bobby” after his favorite character on ‘The Brady Bunch’, when he was around four years old.

Born a Hindu, he developed an interest in Christianity as a college student and was baptized in 1989.

Jindal was appointed the president of the University of Louisiana System in 1999—at 28 years of age, he became the youngest ever president of the system.

Aged 36 at the time he assumed the office of the governor of Louisiana, he became the youngest sitting governor in the United States.

He is the first Indian American to be elected governor of any state in the United States.

In 2008, Jindal was ranked one of the nation's most popular governors with an approval rating of 77 percent.

He is opposed to abortion and according to the National Right to Life Committee, he has a 100 percent pro-life voting record.

He believes that every child deserves a mom and a dad and is thus against same-sex marriages.

When his wife was pregnant with their third child and went into labor, the couple barely had enough time to call 911. He helped deliver the baby at their house with the help of medical coaching received by phone.

He is a fitness freak and loves to work out for an hour every day, even while travelling.

Bobby Jindal Biography

You wanted to know

Is Bobby Jindal still in politics?

What are Bobby Jindal's views on healthcare?

Did Bobby Jindal run for President of the United States?

What is Bobby Jindal's stance on education reform?

How did Bobby Jindal respond to natural disasters during his time as Governor of Louisiana?