Historic day for India; Draupadi Murmu sworn in as 15th President

The day has finally arrived and Droupadi Murmu has been sworn in as the 15th President of India today.

The swearing-in ceremony was held around 10:14 am at the central hall of the Parliament. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana.

A host of MPs from both the houses of the parliament was present at the swearing-in ceremony. And to make the day more historic, Murmu was also honoured with a 21-gun salute.

Let us know more about Droupadi Murmu, our next president

Droupadi Murmu’s life has been a tale of grit and determination as she fought multiple personal tragedies to emerge triumphant.

Since the beginning of the presidential race, Droupadi has had a clear edge over the opposition candidate, Yashwant Sinha. Receiving more than 53 % of votes in the elections, she has received wide support from several political parties, even those from outside the BJP-led NDA political alliance.

She is the 1st tribal to hold the top constitutional post of India and also the 1st president to be born after independence. At 64, she will also be India’s youngest president.

Personal Life, Education, and Family

a Santali tribal family to Biranchi Narayan Tudu. Both her father and grandfather were village heads under the Panchayati Raj System. Belonging to Mayurbhanj, one of the most remote and underdeveloped districts of the country, Murmu earned her Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Bhubaneswar’s Ramadevi Women’s College and served as a junior assistant in the irrigation and power department in the Odisha government. Murmu also served as an assistant professor at the Shri Aurobindo Integral Education and Research Institute, Rairangpur.

She is an excellent orator in Santhali and Odia and is believed to be deeply spiritual and a keen practitioner of the meditation techniques of the Brahma Kumaris, a movement she embraced after she lost her husband, 2 sons, and mother in the 6 years between 2009-2015.
Draupadi Murmu married Shyam Charan Murmu, a banker who passed away in 2014.

The couple had two sons, both of whom passed away, and a daughter Itishri Murmu who works at a bank in Odhisa. One of her sons died under mysterious circumstances in 2009 while her 2nd son passed away in a road accident on 2012. Murmu’s husband died of cardiac arrest. Murmu was devastated and even suffered from depression, especially when she lost her son in 2009. However, she fought all odds to dedicate her life to public service once again.

Droupadi Murmu’s political journey

Murmu started her political career as a councilor from BJP in 1997 and later rose to be a minister in the Odhisa government from 2000 – 2004. Draupadi Murmu joined the BJP in 1997 and was elected as the councilor of the Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat. In 2000, she became the Chairperson of Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat and also served as the National Vice-President of BJP Scheduled Tribes Morcha.

During the BJP and Biju Janata Dal coalition government in Odisha from 2000 to 2004, Draupadi Murmu served as Minister of State with Independent charge for Commerce and Transportation, Minister of Fisheries and Animal Resources department, and was an MLA from Rairangpur Assembly constituency.
Murmu was awarded the Nilkantha Award for the best MLA by Odisha Legislative Assembly in 2007 and gathered diverse administrative experience having handled ministries such as transport, commerce, fisheries, and animal husbandry in the Odisha government.

Draupadi Murmu – The former Governor of Jharkhand

Draupadi Murmu took oath as the 9th Governor of Jharkhand on May 18, 2015, and became the first woman Governor of Jharkhand. She was the first female tribal leader from Odisha to be appointed as a Governor of a State.

Draupadi Murmu as the Governor of Jharkhand in 2017 refused to give assent to a bill approved by the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly seeking amendments to the Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908, and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, 1949. The bill sought to give rights to the Tribals to make commercial use of their land, while also ensuring that the ownership of land does not change. She served as the governor of Jharkhand till 2021. After completing her tenure as Jharkhand governor, Murmu devoted her time to meditation and social work in Rairangpur.