Droupadi Murmu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Droupadi Murmu
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Official portrait, 2022
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| President of India | |
| Assumed office 25 July 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Vice President | |
| Preceded by | Ram Nath Kovind |
| Governor of Jharkhand | |
| In office 18 May 2015 – 12 July 2021 |
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| Chief Ministers | Raghubar Das Hemant Soren |
| Preceded by | Syed Ahmed |
| Succeeded by | Ramesh Bais |
| Minister of State of Odisha | |
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Independent Charge
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| In office 6 August 2002 – 16 May 2004 |
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| Chief Minister | Naveen Patnaik |
| Ministry | Fisheries and Animal Resources Development |
| In office 6 March 2000 – 6 August 2002 |
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| Chief Minister | Naveen Patnaik |
| Ministry | Commerce and Transport |
| Member of Odisha Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 5 March 2000 – 21 May 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Laxman Majhi |
| Succeeded by | Shyam Charan Hansdah |
| Constituency | Rairangpur |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Durgi Biranchi Tudu
20 June 1958 Uparbeda, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, India |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse |
Shyam Charan Murmu
(m. 1980; died 2014) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi |
| Alma mater | Utkal University (BA) |
| Occupation | Politician, president of India |
| Profession | Teacher |
| Signature |  |
Droupadi Murmu (born Durgi Biranchi Tudu on 20 June 1958) is an Indian politician. She has been the President of India since 2022. She won the 2022 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 served as the Governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021. She was the longest-serving governor for that state. She was also a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from 2000 to 2009. From 2000 to 2004, she was a minister in the Government of Odisha. Before entering politics, she worked as a clerk and then as a teacher.
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Personal Life and Education
Droupadi Murmu was born on 20 June 1958, in Uparbeda village, Odisha. Her family belongs to the Santali community. Her father and grandfather were traditional village leaders. Her family first named her Durgi Tudu. Later, her school teacher renamed her Droupadi.
She went to primary school in Upar Beda. At age five, she moved to Bhubaneswar for further studies. She finished secondary education at Girl's High School Unit-2. She earned her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Rama Devi Women's College.
In 1980, she married Shyam Charan Murmu, a banker. They had two sons and a daughter. Sadly, her husband and two sons passed away between 2009 and 2015. She is a follower of the Brahma Kumaris spiritual movement. Murmu admires India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. She also respects Mahatma Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar.
Early Career
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 at the Sri Aurobindo Integral Education and Research Centre in Rairangpur. She taught subjects like Hindi, Odia, mathematics, and geography. She chose not to take a full salary from the school.
Political Journey
In 1997, Droupadi Murmu began her political journey. She was elected as a councillor in Rairangpur as an independent candidate. Soon after, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
She was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly in 2000. She served two terms, from 2000 to 2009. During this time, the BJP and BJD formed a government in Odisha. Murmu served as a Minister of State. She was in charge of Commerce and Transportation (2000-2002). Later, she handled Fisheries and Animal Resources Development (2002-2004).
In 2007, she received the Nilkanth Award. This award recognized her as the Best MLA in the Odisha Legislative Assembly. In 2009, she lost the Lok Sabha election. This happened after the alliance between BJD and BJP ended. She continued to be active in the BJP. She was elected to the BJP National Executive (ST Morcha) in 2013. She served as a district president until 2015.
Governor of Jharkhand (2015–2021)
On 18 May 2015, Murmu became the Governor of Jharkhand. 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 central government. She oversaw the swearing-in of Hemant Soren as Chief Minister of Jharkhand in 2019.
During her time as governor, some activists felt she could have done more. They wanted her to ensure tribal communities' self-governance rights were fully followed. These rights are protected by special laws.
Her six-year term as Governor ended in July 2021.
Land Laws and Protests
In 2016–2017, the Jharkhand government wanted to change some land laws. These laws, the Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, protected tribal land rights. They ensured that land could only be traded between tribal communities. The proposed changes would allow the government to use tribal land for business.
Tribal people strongly opposed these changes. They held protests, known as the Pathalgadi movement. Governor Murmu received many requests against the changes. Opposition leaders also spoke out. They believed the government wanted tribal land for big companies.
On 24 May 2017, Governor Murmu decided not to approve the changes. She sent the bill back to the state government. The government later withdrew the bill in August 2017.
In 2017, she also approved two other bills. One was the Freedom of Religion Bill, 2017. This bill made it an offense to force someone to change their religion. The other bill changed parts of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. This bill set rules for how the government could acquire tribal land.
Presidential Campaign
In June 2022, the BJP chose Droupadi Murmu as their candidate for President of India. This was for the election in July. Yashwant Sinha was the candidate for the opposition parties. During her campaign, Murmu visited many states. She asked for support for her election. Several political parties announced their support for her.
On 21 July 2022, Murmu won the election. She defeated Yashwant Sinha with a large number of votes. She received 676,803 electoral votes, which was 64.03% of the total. This made her the 15th President of India.
Presidency (2022–present)
On 26 July 2022, Droupadi Murmu took her oath as the 15th President of India. The oath was given by Chief Justice N. V. Ramana. Many important people, like former presidents, the vice-president, and the prime minister, were there.
She is the first person from India's tribal communities to become president. She is also the youngest president and the first to be born after India's independence in 1947. Murmu is the second woman to serve as president, after Pratibha Patil.
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 to open the 'Mysuru Dasara' festival in Karnataka. In her first few months, Murmu visited northeastern states. She took part in ceremonies for various development projects.
In November 2022, she visited her home state of Odisha. She launched several programs there. She visited her old school and met schoolchildren. She also walked two kilometers to visit the Puri Jagannath Temple.
In April 2023, she made history by flying in a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet. This happened at Tezpur Air Station in Assam. She is only the third president to fly in a fighter jet. She flew for about 30 minutes. She described it as an "exhilarating experience."
In May 2023, the New Parliament House was opened. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it. Some people felt that President Murmu, as the head of state, should have done it. However, Murmu later said she was proud and satisfied with the inauguration. She also spoke out strongly against violence and crime against women, stating "Enough is Enough."
Awards and 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)
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See also
In Spanish: Draupadi Murmu para niños
- List of presidents of India
- President of India
- 2022 Indian presidential election
- List of governors of Jharkhand
