Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi was born on 30 April 1967 in New Delhi to Shri Bhagwan Khanna and Smt. Amarlata Khanna. She assumed charge as Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State for Culture on 8 July 2021.

Legal Career
After graduating in B.Sc. (Hons) from Hindu College and LL.B. from Campus Law Centre, Delhi University, she enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1990. She practised in various courts, including several tribunals, Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, with particular focus on Indirect taxes and Criminal Law. She also practised in a range of forums across India and handled numerous issues pertaining to women in the courts, such as domestic violence, family law disputes and most importantly, the issue of permanent commission of the lady officers in the armed forces.

Political Career
Smt. Lekhi was elected to 16th Lok Sabha in May 2014 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She was re-elected to the 17th Lok Sabha in May 2019. During her parliamentary tenure, she has been a member of numerous parliamentary committees including House Committee, Press Council of India, Standing Committees on External Affairs and on Urban Development, Consultative Committee of Ministry of Defence, Joint Committee on Offices of Profit, Committee of Chairpersons, and General Purposes Committee. She has also served as the Chairperson of the Committee of Privileges, Committee on Public Undertakings, and Joint Committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill 2019.

Smt. Lekhi has been a social activist and has been actively associated with institutions and organisations working towards protection of the rights of women and children in the country. She held the post of National Vice President, BJP Mahila Morcha in 2010. She has also been a part of Drafting Committees for the ‘Women’s Reservation Bill’ and ‘Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill’ among others.

Smt. Lekhi is married to Shri Aman Lekhi and has two sons.