Droupadi Murmu Takes Oath As 15th President of India: A Look At Her Inspiring Journey From Odisha to Raisina Hills

Draupadi Murmu took oath as 15th President of India at a ceremony in Parliament’s Central Hall in New Delhi on Monday. With this, she has become the first tribal, second woman and the youngest President of India. She was administered oath by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Murmu. Incidentally, she is also the first leader to be elected to the country’s top job, who was born after independence.

After taking the oath, Murmu delivered her first address as President of India at the Central Hall of President, in which she thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and all the MPs and MLAs who voted for her. In her address, she also mentioned the Santhal Revolution, the Paika Revolution, the Coal Revolution and the Bhil Revolution.

In her address, the new President of India also reminisced the tribal contribution to the freedom struggle and named the sacrifice of ‘Dharti Aba’ Bhagwan Birsa Munda for social upliftment and patriotism. Murmu said, ‘I will discharge my duties with full loyalty. For me, the democratic-cultural ideals of India and all the countrymen will always be the source of my energy.

The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Prime Minister, Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, members of the council of ministers, governors, chief ministers, members of parliament and other dignitaries and officials. Droupadi Murmu Takes Oath As 15th President of India; Here Are Some Lesser Known Facts About India’s First Tribal Woman President.

Before taking oath as President of India, Murmu paid floral tributes at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat. She also met outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Murmu in the July 18 presidential polls defeated joint opposition candidate and former union minister Yashwant Sinha by securing 64% of the total valid votes. The counting of the votes was held on July 21.

With Droupadi Murmu occupying the highest office of the country, India has made yet another great stride towards empowerment of the socially backward section of the society, that she belongs. Her irresistible rise is also an inspiration for all those aspiring to do something big in life. Draupadi Murmu’s elevation to the top job has reaffirmed the idea of honouring the neglected sections of society by strengthening the bond between different communities for national unity and social harmony.

From being the first girl in her village to go to college to now being the country’s first tribal President of India, Draupadi Murmu’s journey comes as an inspiration for crores of people, especially women coming from the backward section of the society.

Born in a Santali tribal family on June 30, 1958, in Uparbeda village coming under Mayurbhanj district in Odisha, she had her education from Bhubaneswar and went on to work first as a junior assistant in the State Irrigation and Power Department from 1979 to 1983. After this short stint as a clerk, she became a teacher at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre at Rairangpur till 1997.

Murmu took a political plunge in 1997 by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She was first elected as the councillor of the Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat and then went on to become the chairperson of the same panchayat in 2000. Later, she also served as the national vice president of the BJP Scheduled Tribe Morcha.

Murmu became a member of the council of ministers in the BJP and Biju Janata Dal coalition government in Odisha, first becoming the minister of state with independent charge for commerce and transportation from March 2000 to August 2022 and then minister for fisheries and animal resources development from August 2002 to May 2004. A legislator from the Rairangpur assembly constituency in the years 2000 and 2004, she was conferred Nilkhantha Award for the best MLA by the Odisha assembly in 2007.

In 2015, Murmu became the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She also became the first woman tribal leader from Odisha to be appointed as the governor of a state. In 2017, Murmur came into the limelight when as governor of Jharkhand, she refused to give her assent to a bill seeking amendments to the Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908 and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, 1949 and sought an explanation from the Raghubar Das led BJP government as to how the changes being made, are going to bring well being for the tribal community.

During her political journey, she faced several lows in her life. Her husband Shyam Charan Murmu, a banker, died in 2014. She also lost both of her sons all in just 4 years. Droupadi Murmu Takes Oath As 15th President of India.

Murmu devoted her life to serving society, empowering the poor, downtrodden and marginalized sections of society. She has rich administrative experience and an outstanding gubernatorial tenure in Jharkhand. Murmu has made a special identity in public life by spreading awareness about education in tribal society and serving the public for a long time as a public representative.

With Murmu becoming President of India, the all-around development of the tribal community and women is sure to take new heights. This move is not only going to give a new direction to women empowerment but is also set to restore the rich tribal identity. With Murmu becoming the President of India, the already accelerated development of the tribal community under PM Modi is sure to receive another big boost.

The President of India is the head of state in India and is also considered the first citizen of the country, acting on the advice of the Council of Ministers. According to article 60 of the constitution, the primary duty of the President of India is to uphold, defend, and preserve the Indian constitution and the law. The president appoints the Chief Justice of India and other judges on the advice of the chief justice.

The President of India is elected by the elected representatives of the parliament and the state legislature. The Electoral College elects the President of India and the representation of its members is proportionate. The term of the President of India is of 5 years and no law can be implemented in India without the President’s signature.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 25, 2022 12:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).