Anandiben Patel facts for kids
Anandiben Mafatbhai Patel (born 21 November 1941) is an Indian politician. She is currently the 20th governor of Uttar Pradesh since 2019. She has also served as the 17th governor of Madhya Pradesh from 2020 to 2021 and as Governor of Chhattisgarh from 2018 to 2019.
She made history as the first and only female Chief Minister of Gujarat. She is also the second female Governor of Uttar Pradesh, following Sarojini Naidu. Anandiben Patel has been a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 1987. She served as the Cabinet Minister for Education from 2002 to 2007.
From 2007 to 2014, she was a cabinet minister in the Government of Gujarat. Her responsibilities included Road and Building, Revenue, Urban Development, Urban Housing, Disaster Management, and Capital Projects. On 19 January 2018, she became the Governor of Madhya Pradesh.
Quick facts for kids
Anandiben Patel
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Official portrait, 2014
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| 20th Governor of Uttar Pradesh | |
| Assumed office 29 July 2019 |
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| Chief Minister | Yogi Adityanath |
| Dy. Chief Minister | Brajesh Pathak Keshav Prasad Maurya |
| Preceded by | Ram Naik |
| 17th Governor of Madhya Pradesh | |
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Additional Charge
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| In office 1 July 2020 – 8 July 2021 |
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| Chief Minister | Shivraj Singh Chouhan |
| Preceded by | Lalji Tandon |
| Succeeded by | Mangubhai C. Patel |
| In office 23 January 2018 – 28 July 2019 |
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| Chief Minister | Shivraj Singh Chouhan Kamal Nath |
| Preceded by | Om Prakash Kohli (additional charge) |
| Succeeded by | Lalji Tandon |
| Governor of Chhattisgarh | |
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Additional Charge
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| In office 15 August 2018 – 28 July 2019 |
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| Chief Minister | Prof. Raman Singh Bhupesh Baghel |
| Preceded by | Balram Das Tandon |
| Succeeded by | Anusuiya Uikey |
| 15th Chief Minister of Gujarat | |
| In office 22 May 2014 – 7 August 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Narendra Modi |
| Succeeded by | Vijay Rupani |
| Member of Gujarat Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 24 May 2012 – 13 July 2016 |
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| Constituency | Ghatlodiya |
| In office 26 May 2002 – 22 June 2012 |
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| Constituency | Patan |
| In office 21 June 1998 – 22 May 2002 |
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| Constituency | Mandal |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 1994–1998 |
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| Constituency | Gujarat |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 November 1941 Kharod, Bombay Province, British India (present-day Gujarat, India) |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse |
Mafatlal Patel
(m. 1962) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Raj Bhavan, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Occupation | Politician |
Contents
Early Life and Education
Birth and Childhood
Anandiben Patel was born on 21 November 1941. Her birthplace was Kharod village in the Mehsana district of Gujarat. Her father, Jethabhai, worked as a teacher.
School and College Years
She attended N.M. High School for her high school studies. At that time, there were only three girl students in her school. Anandiben was a talented athlete and won district-level championships for three years in a row. In 1960, she started college to study for a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree. She was an excellent student throughout her studies. She received the "Veer Bala" award in Mehsana for her great achievements in sports.
Becoming a Teacher
Anandiben Patel did not initially plan to become a teacher. However, she saw a newspaper advertisement and decided to apply to help her family financially. During her interview, she chose to teach a very difficult math problem. In 1967 or 1970, Patel started working as a teacher at Mohiniba Kanya Vidyalaya in Ahmedabad. She taught science and mathematics to older students. Later, she became the principal of the school.
Political Journey
A Brave Act and Entry into Politics
Anandiben Patel's journey into politics began with a heroic act in 1987. During a school picnic, she bravely jumped into the Sardar Sarovar reservoir. She saved two girls who were drowning. For this act of courage, she received a president's bravery award. Leaders from the BJP party were very impressed by her heroism. They asked her to join the party. At first, she was unsure, but after being encouraged by Keshubhai Patel and Narendra Modi, she joined the BJP in 1987. She became the President of the Gujarat Pradesh Mahila Morcha, which is the women's wing of the party in Gujarat.
Early Political Roles
In 1992, she took part in the Ekta Yatra, a long march from Kanyakumari to Srinagar. She joined BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on this journey. In 1994, Patel was elected to the Rajya Sabha, which is one of the two houses of the Indian Parliament. She represented Gujarat.
Making a Difference in Education
In 1998, Patel left the Rajya Sabha to run for an assembly election. She won from the Mandal assembly area. She then became the cabinet minister for education under Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel. As Education Minister, she started "Lokdarbar" to help solve problems related to schools and education. Under her leadership, the state government also launched "Shala Praveshotsav." This program aimed to increase the number of children joining schools. Her efforts led to a 100% increase in school enrollment. This program is still an important part of the Education department today.
Serving as a Minister
Anandiben Patel won her second and third assembly elections in 2002 and 2007 from the Patan assembly area. In her second term, she continued as the cabinet minister for education. In her third term, she was given new responsibilities for Roads & Building and Revenue. In 2012, she won her fourth election from the Ghatlodiya area. She won by a very large margin, more than 175,000 votes, which was the highest in that election. She continued to serve as the cabinet minister for Road and Building, Revenue, Urban Development, Urban Housing, Disaster Management, and Capital Projects.
Chief Minister of Gujarat
On 22 May 2014, Anandiben Patel became the 15th Chief Minister of Gujarat. She took over from Narendra Modi, who became the Prime Minister of India. She was the first female Chief Minister of Gujarat. On 1 August 2016, she announced her wish to resign because she was turning 75 years old. She officially resigned on 4 August 2016, and her resignation was accepted. She remained in office until Vijay Rupani took over on 7 August 2016.
Serving as a Governor
In January 2018, she became the Governor of Madhya Pradesh. In August 2018, she also took on the additional role of Governor of Chhattisgarh after the previous governor passed away. On 20 July 2019, she became the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.
Personal Life
Anandiben Patel married Mafatlal Patel on 29 May 1962. After living in Mehsana district for four years, they moved to Ahmedabad. Mafatlal was a psychology professor, and Anandiben taught mathematics and science. She later became a school principal. They have two children, Sanjay and Anar. Sanjay is married to Hina and they have a son named Dharm. Anar is married to Jayesh, and they have a daughter named Sanskruti. Anandiben Patel chose to retire from teaching after 31 years.
Recognition and Awards
The Indian Express newspaper listed Anandiben Patel among the top 100 most influential people in India in 2014.
- She received the Governor's Award for best teacher in Gujarat (1988).
- She was honored with the President's Award for the best teacher (1989).
- She received the 'Sardar Patel' Award from Patel Jagruti Mandal, Mumbai (1999).
- She was given the 'Vidya Gaurav' Award by Shri Tapodhan Brahman Vikas Mandal (2000).
- The Patel community honored her with the 'Patidar Shiromani' Award (2005).
- She received a special honor from Dharati Vikas Mandal for her work in women's upliftment.
- She earned the 'Veerbala' award for being first in a school sports event in Mahesana District.
Gallantry Awards
- She received a Gallantry Award for saving two girls from drowning at the Navagam reservoir.
- She was the winner of the Charumati Yoddha Award (Jyotisangh), Ahmedabad.
- She also won the Ambubhai Purani Vyayam Vidyalay Award (Rajpipala).
See Also
- Anandiben Patel ministry
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2014
