Prithvirajsing Roopun serves as the seventh president of Mauritius. He was born in an Indian Hindu  family and grew up in Morcellement St. Jean, a suburb of Quatre Bornes.  Roopun entered politics in 1983 and stood as candidate for the first time in 1995. He was elected in constituency No. 14, Savanne and Black River in the 2000 general election to serve the Legislative Assembly as deputy chief government whip until 2004. In 2005, he was appointed as minister of local government and solid waste management.

Roopun was elected in constituency No. 9, Flacq and Bon Accueil, in the 2010 general election. He was the deputy speaker of the National Assembly of Mauritius between 2010 and 2012.  He also represented Mauritius as a member of the Pan African Parliament from 2010 to 2014, where he was deputy chair of the Committee of Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy, Science, and Technology.

From December 2014 to January 2017, Roopun served as minister of social integration and economic empowerment, having as a major responsibility the eradication of extreme poverty  and the empowerment of the vulnerable groups. During his tenure, a Marshall Plan Against Poverty was elaborated with the support of the UNDP and a scheme providing for a subsistence allowance for families living in extreme poverty was introduced.

From January 2017 to November 2019, he served as minister of arts and culture. During his tenure, he chaired the UNESCO 13th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage during which reggae music of Jamaica was inscribed on the representative list.