Vijay Kumar Malhotra

Vijay Kumar Malhotra was a college professor, a leading figure in Delhi’s politics for decades, and the head of Indian archery for more than forty years. He was named posthumously for the Padma Bhushan in 2026 in the field of public affairs, from Delhi ^[1].

Professor

Malhotra was born in Lahore on 3 December 1931, the second of seven children, and his family moved to India after Partition ^[2]. He earned a PhD in Hindi literature on the poet Sohan Lal Dwivedi and taught at PGDAV College, Delhi, for nearly 36 years ^[2].

Politics

He came into politics through the RSS and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and became a leading member of the BJP in Delhi ^[2]. In 1967, aged 35, he became Delhi’s youngest Chief Executive Councillor, a post equivalent to chief minister ^[2]. He was elected to Parliament five times and to the Delhi assembly twice ^[2]. In 1999 he defeated Manmohan Singh in the Lok Sabha election, and in 2004 he was the BJP’s only winning candidate in Delhi ^[2]. He was jailed for 19 months during the Emergency and chaired parliamentary committees including the Public Accounts Committee ^[2].

Sport

From 1973 Malhotra was president of the Archery Association of India for more than forty years ^[2]. He was India’s chef de mission at the 1974 Asian Games, acting president of the Indian Olympic Association in 2011–12, and later head of the All India Council of Sports ^[2].

He died on 30 September 2025 ^[2].