Positions in Odisha

Odisha Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Fisheries and Animal Resources
In office 6 August 2002 ‍–‍ 16 May 2004
Chief Minister	Naveen Patnaik
Preceded by	Biswabhusan Harichandan
Succeeded by	Damodar Rout
Odisha Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Transport
In office 6 March 2000 ‍–‍ 6 August 2002
Chief Minister	Naveen Patnaik
Succeeded by	Arabinda Dhali
Member of Odisha Legislative Assembly for Rairangpur
In office 5 March 2000 ‍–‍ 21 May 2009
Preceded by	Laxman Majhi
Succeeded by	Shyam Charan Hansdah

Personal details

Born

Durgi Biranchi Tudu

20 June 1958 (age 67)
Uparbeda, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, India

Political party

Bharatiya Janata Party

Spouse

Shyam Charan Murmu

(m. 1980; died 2014)

Children

Residence

Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi

Alma mater

Rama Devi Women's University (BA)

Occupation

Politician

Profession

Teacher

Awards

See below

Signature

Droupadi Murmu (born Durgi Biranchi Tudu; 20 June 1958) is an Indian politician. She has been serving as the President of India since 2022. She won the presidential election as the candidate for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

She is the first person from a tribal community to become president. She is also the second woman, after Pratibha Patil, to hold this high office. At 64, she is the youngest person to become president. She is also the first president born after India gained independence in 1947.

Before becoming president, she was the Governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021. She served as a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from 2000 to 2009. She was also a minister in the Government of Odisha from 2000 to 2004. Before entering politics, she worked as a clerk and then as a teacher.

About Her Life
Her Early Work
Her Political Journey
Governor of Jharkhand (2015–2021)
- Land Rights and Protests
- Other Bills Approved
Presidential Campaign
Presidency (2022–present)
Awards and Honours
See also

About Her Life

Droupadi Murmu was born on 20 June 1958. Her family belongs to the Santali community. She was born in Uparbeda village in Odisha, India. Her father, Biranchi Narayan Tudu, was a farmer. Both her father and grandfather were traditional leaders of their village council.

Her family first named her Durgi Tudu. Her nickname was Batti, which later became Puti. A school teacher later renamed her Droupadi. Her name was changed a few times in the past.

Murmu went to primary school in Upar Beda. At age five, she moved to Bhubaneswar for more studies. She finished high school at Girl's High School Unit-2. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Rama Devi Women's University.

In 1980, she married Shyam Charan Murmu, who was a banker. They had two sons and a daughter, Itishree Murmu. Sadly, her husband, two sons, mother, and a brother all passed away between 2009 and 2015. She follows the Brahma Kumaris spiritual movement.

Murmu admires India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. She also respects Mahatma Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar.

Her Early Work

From 1979 to 1983, Murmu worked as a junior assistant. She was in the irrigation department of the Government of Odisha. Later, from 1994 to 1997, she became a teacher. She taught Hindi, Odia, mathematics, and geography at a school in Rairangpur. She chose not to take a full salary from the school.

Her Political Journey

In 1997, Droupadi Murmu was elected as a councillor. She represented the Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat. She ran as an independent candidate for a seat reserved for women. After this, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

She won the 2000 Odisha Legislative Assembly election. She served two terms in the Odisha Legislative Assembly from 2000 to 2009. When the BJP and BJD parties formed a government in Odisha, she became a minister. She was the Minister of State for Commerce and Transportation from 2000 to 2002. Then, she was the Minister for Fisheries and Animal Resources Development from 2002 to 2004.

In 2007, she received the Nilkanth Award. This award is given to the Best MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) in Odisha. In 2009, she lost the Lok Sabha election. This happened after the alliance between BJD and BJP ended. In 2013, she was elected to the BJP National Executive (ST Morcha). She was also a district president until 2015.

Governor of Jharkhand (2015–2021)

Governor Murmu with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015

Murmu became the Governor of Jharkhand on 18 May 2015. She was the first woman to hold this important position. The BJP was in power in Jharkhand for most of her six years as governor. They were also in power in the national government during this time. She oversaw the swearing-in of Hemant Soren as Chief Minister of Jharkhand in 2019.

Her term as Governor lasted for six years. It began in May 2015 and ended in July 2021.

Land Rights and Protests

In 2016–2017, the government in Jharkhand wanted to change some old laws. These laws, the Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, protected the land rights of tribal communities. Under the old laws, land could only be traded between tribal people. The new changes would allow the government to use tribal land for business or lease it out. The state assembly had approved these changes. The bills were sent to Governor Murmu for her approval in November 2016.

Tribal people strongly opposed these proposed changes. Protests took place, known as the Pathalgadi movement. In one event, the protest became violent. Police responded with force, and a tribal man died. Many people were charged, including tribal rights activist Stan Swamy. Some people criticized Murmu for not taking a stronger stand against the police actions. She asked the protest leaders to trust the constitution.

Murmu with Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi in 2017

Murmu received 192 requests against the changes to the bill. Opposition leaders said the government wanted to take tribal land for companies. Many opposition parties pressured her to reject the bill. On 24 May 2017, Murmu decided not to approve the bills. She sent them back to the state government with all the requests she had received. The bill was later withdrawn in August 2017.

Other Bills Approved

In 2017, she approved two other important bills. One was the Freedom of Religion Bill, 2017. This bill made it illegal to force or trick someone into changing their religion. If the person was from a tribal community, a child, or a woman, the punishment was stricter. The bill also required people who voluntarily changed their religion to inform the government.

She also approved changes to the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. These changes affected how long it took to get paid for land taken by the government. It also changed rules for checking the social impact of projects.

Presidential Campaign

In June 2022, the BJP chose Murmu as their candidate for President of India. This was for the election that happened the next month. Yashwant Sinha was the candidate for the opposition parties. During her campaign, Murmu visited many states. She asked for support for her election. Several opposition parties announced their support for her before the voting.

On 21 July 2022, Murmu won the election. She defeated Yashwant Sinha with a clear majority of votes. She received 676,803 electoral votes, which was 64.03% of the total. She won in 21 out of 28 states. This made her the 15th President of India.

Presidency (2022–present)

Chief Justice N. V. Ramana administering the oath of office to President-elect Murmu

On 26 July 2022, Droupadi Murmu took her oath as the 15th President of India. The oath was given by Chief Justice of India N. V. Ramana. Many important people were there, including former presidents, the vice-president, and the prime minister.

She is the first person from India's tribal communities to be elected president. She is also the youngest president and the first one born after India's independence in 1947. Murmu is the second woman to serve as president, after Pratibha Patil.

Murmu speaking before the 75th Independence Day, August 2022

Murmu spoke to the nation for the first time as president on 14 August 2022. This was the day before India's 75th Independence Day.

In September 2022, she launched a government program. It was called 'Pradhanmantri TB mukht Bharat'. This program aims to get rid of tuberculosis in India. She also became the first President of India to open the 'Mysore Dasara' festival in Karnataka. In her first few months, Murmu visited states in northeast India. These included Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim. She took part in ceremonies for various development projects.

In November 2022, she visited her home state of Odisha. This was her first visit there after becoming president. She went to her old school and met children along the road. She also walked two kilometers to visit the Puri Jagannath Temple.

President Murmu at the President's official residence, Rashtrapati Bhavan.

In April 2023, she took a historic flight in a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet. This happened at Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam. She was the third president to fly in a fighter jet. She flew for about 30 minutes over valleys and mountains. She said it was an "exhilarating experience."

Droupadi Murmu takes a historic sortie in a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft at the Tezpur Air Force Station.

In May 2023, there was a discussion about the New Parliament House. It was opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Some opposition parties wanted Murmu to open it. They said she was the head of state. They boycotted the ceremony. However, Murmu later said she was proud and happy with the inauguration. She stated that the "Prime Minister symbolises parliament's trust."

She expressed her sadness about crimes against women in the country. This was after an incident in Kolkata in 2024. She said "enough is enough" and condemned violence against women.

On 22 January 2024, President Murmu visited Ayodhya. She attended the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Mandir. This was a big cultural and religious event in India.

On 29 February 2024, she spoke at a conference. It was the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI). She talked about India's commitment to working with other countries. The goal is to build strong infrastructure that can withstand disasters.

On 8 March 2024, President Murmu gave out the Nari Shakti Puraskar awards. This was at Rashtrapati Bhavan on International Women's Day. She praised the award winners for their great work in helping women.

On 27 June 2024, Murmu spoke to a joint meeting of the Parliament of India. This was at the start of the 18th Lok Sabha. She praised the high number of voters. She also noted that all parts of society, including people from Jammu and Kashmir, took part. She said this showed their dedication to strengthening Indian democracy.

On 9 March 2025, she opened the second Vividhta Ka Amrit Mahotsav. This cultural festival at Rashtrapati Bhavan celebrates traditions, crafts, and food from South India. The event aims to promote unity in diversity and local art.

In July 2025, she accepted Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation as vice president.

Awards and Honours

Droupadi Murmu has received several awards and honours:

International Honours

Suriname:
- Honorary Order of the Yellow Star, Grand Order Chain (5 June 2023)
Fiji:
- Order of Fiji, Companion (6 August 2024)
East Timor:
- Order of Timor-Leste, Grand Collar (10 August 2024)

Honorary Citizenship

Lisbon, Portugal
- Honorary Citizenship of Lisbon (7 April 2025)

Honorary Degrees

University of Mauritius
- Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) (12 March 2024)
Sidi Abdellah Science and Technology Pole University
- Doctor of Political Science (DPS) (15 October 2024)
Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra
- Honorary Doctorate (10 April 2025)