22-July-2022: Smt Droupadi Murmu - 15th President of India
Smt Droupadi
Murmu’s journey to the top office
1.
She Belongs to the Tribal Santhal Community
Draupadi
Murmu was born on 20 June, 1958, in Uparbeda village under Kusumi Tehsil of
Mayurbhanj district in Odisha. Coming from the Santhal community, Murmu
struggled with poverty in her early years in one of the most remote and
underdeveloped districts of the country. The Santhals have a higher literacy
rate than other tribes in India.
She
will succeed Ram Nath Kovind, will be India's second woman President. She will
also be the youngest and India's first President to be born after Independence.
It
is believed that Murmu is deeply spiritual and a keen practitioner of the
meditation techniques of the Brahma Kumaris, a movement she embraced after
losing her husband, two sons, brother, and mother between 2009-2015.
2.
First Jharkhand Governor to Complete a Five-Year Tenure
Draupadi
Murmu served as the Governor of Jharkhand from May 2015 to July 2021 and became
the first governor to complete the five-year term in the state. Jharkhand was
formed in 2000. Also, she was the first Odia woman and tribal leader to be
appointed governor of an Indian state. After completing her tenure, she devoted
her time to meditation and social work in Rairangpur.
3.
Education
Draupadi
Murmu attended High School in Bhubaneswar. Murmu passed her matriculation from
the Unit II Girl’s High School in 1974. She studied there for three years
(Class 8, 9 and 10) before joining Rama Devi Women’s College in Bhubaneswar for
a bachelor's degree in Arts.
She
completed her graduation from Rama Devi College, which is now a university. Born
into a Santhal family, Murmu is considered to be an excellent orator in
Santhali and Odia languages.
4.
Started Out As a Teacher
She
worked as a junior assistant in the Odisha government’s irrigation and power
department from 1979 to 1983, before joining Sri Aurobindo Integral Education
Centre, Rairangpur as a teacher in 1994 and continued till 1997.
5.
She Joined BJP In 1997
Draupadi
Murmu joined the BJP in 1997, and she was elected as the councillor of the
Rairangpur district of Odisha in the same year. In the same year, she also
became the Vice - Chairperson of Rairangpur. This began her political journey.
She
later went on to become a minister in the Odisha government from 2000-04, where
she handled ministries such as transport, commerce, fisheries, and animal
husbandry.
Murmu
was also the BJP's vice president and later president of the Scheduled Tribe
Morcha in Odisha.
She
was elected the district president of Mayurbhanj (West) unit of the BJP in 2010
and re-elected in 2013. She was also named a member of the BJP National
Executive (ST Morcha) the same year.
During
the BJP and Biju Janata Dal coalition government in Odisha, Murmu served at
several posts as a Minister. She has been an MLA twice on a BJP ticket from
Odisha's Rairangpur (2000 and 2009). She held on to her seat when BJD snapped
ties with BJP in the 2009 elections.
She
continued rising through the ranks in the BJP as well as the government. Murmu
was elected as BJP's district president of the Mayurbhanj (West) unit in 2010,
and she was re-elected in 2013. The leader was also named as a BJP National
Executive (ST Morcha) member the same year.
6.
Family
Draupadi
Murmu was married to Shyam Charan Murmu and they had three children. But her
husband passed away earlier due to a cardiac arrest. She also lost two of her
sons, one under mysterious circumstances in 2009 and the other in a road
accident in 2012. Her daughter works in a bank in Odisha.
7.
Best MLA Award
The
former Odisha Minister Draupadi Murmu was awarded the ‘Nilakantha Award’ in
2007 by the Odisha Legislative Assembly for being the best MLA of the year.
(Resources: Various Websites)
