Pratibha Patil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pratibha Patil
Official portrait, 2007
President of India
In office 25 July 2007 – 25 July 2012
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Vice President	Mohammad Hamid Ansari
Preceded by	A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Succeeded by	Pranab Mukherjee
Governor of Rajasthan
In office 8 November 2004 – 23 June 2007
Chief Minister	Vasundhara Raje
Preceded by	Madan Lal Khurana
Succeeded by	Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 21 June 1991 – 16 May 1996
Preceded by	Sudam Deshmukh
Succeeded by	Anantrao Gudhe
Constituency	Amravati, Maharashtra
Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
In office 18 November 1986 – 5 November 1988
Chairman	Ramaswamy Venkataraman (1986–1987) Shankar Dayal Sharma (1987–1988)
Preceded by	M. M. Jacob
Succeeded by	Najma Heptulla
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office 1985–1990
Constituency	Maharashtra
Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
In office 1978–1985
Constituency	Edlabad
In office 1962–1967
Constituency	Jalgaon
Personal details
Born	Pratibha Narayan Rao Patil (1934-12-19) 19 December 1934 (age 90) Nadgaon, Bombay Presidency, British India (present–day Maharashtra, India)
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse	Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat ​ ​ (m. 1965; died 2023)​
Children	2
Residence	57, Congress Nagar, Amravati
Alma mater	University of Poona (BA, MA) University of Bombay (LLB)

Pratibha Devisingh Patil (born 19 December 1934) is an Indian politician and lawyer. She served as the President of India from 2007 to 2012. She made history as the first woman to become India's president. Before this, she was the Governor of Rajasthan from 2004 to 2007. She was also a member of the Lok Sabha (one of India's two houses of Parliament) from 1991 to 1996. She is a member of the Indian National Congress political party.

Early Life and Education

Pratibha Patil was born on 19 December 1934, in the village of Nadgaon in Jalgaon district, Maharashtra. Her father was Narayan Rao Patil. She went to R. R. Vidyalaya for her early education.

Studying Law and Social Work

Later, she earned a master's degree in Political Science and Economics from Mooljee Jetha College in Jalgaon. She then studied law and received a Bachelor of Law degree from Government Law College, Bombay. After finishing her studies, Patil started working as a lawyer at the Jalgaon District Court. She also showed a strong interest in helping with social issues, especially working to improve the lives of Indian women.

Family Life

Pratibha Patil married Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat on 7 July 1965. They have two children: a daughter named Jyoti Rathore and a son named Raosaheb Shekhawat, who is also involved in politics.

Political Journey

Pratibha Patil began her political career at a young age. In 1962, when she was 27, she was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the Jalgaon constituency.

Serving in State and National Roles

She continued to win elections from the Muktainagar constituency four times in a row, from 1967 to 1985. After her time in the state assembly, she became a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha (the other house of India's Parliament) from 1985 to 1990. In 1991, she was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Amravati constituency.

Throughout her career, Patil held many important positions. She served as a Cabinet Minister in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in various roles. She also held official positions in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. For several years, she was the president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. She also worked with cooperative banks and unions.

Becoming Governor of Rajasthan

On 8 November 2004, Pratibha Patil was appointed the 17th Governor of Rajasthan. She was the first woman to hold this important position in the state.

Presidential Election of 2007

The Chief Justice of India K. G. Balakrishnan giving the oath of office to Pratibha Patil as President of India in 2007.

On 14 June 2007, Pratibha Patil was chosen as the candidate for President by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). She was a good choice because she had been loyal to the Indian National Congress party for many years.

Facing a Challenge

Usually, the election for President in India is decided by agreement among political parties, and the candidate runs without opposition. However, Pratibha Patil faced a challenge in her election. Her opponent was Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who was the Vice-President at the time. He ran as an independent candidate.

Some people who were against Patil becoming president said she lacked experience. Despite these concerns, Patil won the election on 19 July 2007. She received almost two-thirds of the votes.

Taking Office

On 25 July 2007, Pratibha Patil took the oath of office and became India's 12th President. She was the first woman in India's history to hold this highest office.

Her Time as President

President Patil speaking to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, 2007.

President Patil and her husband with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, 2009.

Pratibha Patil served as President of India for a five-year term. During her presidency, she traveled to many countries. She made 12 foreign trips to 22 countries by May 2012. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that it was normal for family members to accompany the President on these trips.

Patil retired from her role as President in July 2012.

Other Work and Interests

Pratibha Patil has also been involved in setting up various organizations.

Educational and Social Initiatives

She founded Vidya Bharati Shikshan Prasarak Mandal, an educational group that runs schools and colleges in cities like Amravati, Jalgaon, Pune, and Mumbai. She also established Shram Sadhana Trust, which provides hostels for working women in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune. This trust also runs an engineering college for students from rural areas in Jalgaon district. Additionally, she helped start a cooperative sugar factory called Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana in Muktainagar.

Positions Held

Pratibha Patil has held many important official positions throughout her career. These include:

Awards and Honours

•  Mexico:
  • Order of the Aztec Eagle, Sash of Special Category (3 August 2018)

See also

In Spanish: Pratibha Patil para niños