Arackaparambil Kurien Antony is now India's longest-serving defence minister having served in the post for 6 years and 9 months without a break. Jagjivan Ram, likely the finest Raksha Mantri India has ever had, served for 6 years and 8 months, but with two breaks in tenure. The controversial V K Krishna Menon served as defence minister for 4 years and 7 months before his term was brutally cut short by the debacle of 1962 when India was vanquished by China in an unnecessary war.