Draupadi Murmu

The Political Journey

Murmu started her career in politics when she joined BJP in 1997, Consequently, she was given the duty of the Incharge of the Commerce and Transport Department till 2002 and further Fisheries and Animal Resource Department till 2004 in the Odisha government. In 2007, She was awarded the Nilkanth Award for the Best MLA of the year by the Odisha Legislative assembly. Later, she became the first woman Governor of Jharkhand after taking oath on 18 May 2015. Also, she was the first female tribal leader to hold the position of governor of a state. While she was in BJP, she held the position of Vice president and later President of the Scheduled Tribe Morcha in Odisha.

Profile of the President

Smt. Droupadi Murmu was sworn in as the 15th President of India on 25 July, 2022. Previously, she was the Governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021. She has devoted her life to empowering the downtrodden and the marginalised sections and deepening the democratic values.

Early Life and Education

Born in a Santhali tribal family on 20 June, 1958 at Uparbeda village, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, Smt. Murmu’s early life was marked by hardships and struggle. On completion of primary education from the village school, she went to Bhubaneswar on her own initiative to continue her studies. She earned the degree of Bachelor of Arts from Ramadevi Women’s College, Bhubaneswar and became the first woman from her village to receive college education.

Professional Career

From 1979 to 1983, Smt. Murmu served as a Junior Assistant in the Irrigation and Power Department, Government of Odisha. Later, she served as an honorary teacher at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur, from 1994 to 1997.

Public Life

In 2000, Smt. Murmu was elected from the Rairangpur constituency as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Odisha and continued to hold the post till 2009, serving two terms. During this period, she served as Minister of State (Independent Charge), Department of Commerce and Transport in the Government of Odisha from March 6, 2000 to August 6, 2002 and as Minister of State (Independent Charge), Department of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, Government of Odisha from August 6, 2002 to May 16, 2004. In both assignments, she introduced innovative initiatives and people-oriented measures.

She was also appointed a Member of various Committees including House Committees and Standing Committees of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. She also chaired some of the Committees. 

With her rich administrative experience and thanks to her efforts to spread education in tribal societies, she carved a special identity for herself. For her services as a legislator, she was awarded the Pandit Nilkanth Das – Best Legislator Award in 2007 by the Odisha Legislative Assembly.

Governorship of Jharkhand

Smt. Murmu was appointed the Governor of Jharkhand on 18 May, 2015. She was the first woman tribal Governor of a tribal-majority State, and she received wide appreciation for upholding the values of the Constitution and supporting the rights of the tribal communities. She introduced reforms in examination and recruitment processes of the State Universities. She earned respect from leaders of all political parties for her statesmanship and adherence to democratic ethos.

Other Interests

Smt. Murmu was associated with several tribal socio-educational and cultural organisations of Odisha. 

She is an avid reader and has keen interest in spirituality.

Personal Life

In 1981, Smt. Murmu married (late) Shyam Charan Murmu , who was an officer in a bank. She has a daughter, Smt. Itishree Murmu, and son-in-law, Shri Ganesh Hembram (who is a rugby player).

Tours and State Visits

As President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu has travelled widely across the country. She has also travelled abroad to enhance India's global outreach and footprint. She visited the United Kingdom in 2022, and has paid State Visits to Suriname, Serbia, Mauritius, Fiji, New Zealand and Timor-Leste. During these visits, she has made special efforts to engage with the Indian diaspora, highlighting their important contribution in strengthening India’s bilateral relations. She has been conferred the "Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star" of Suriname, the “Companion of the Order of Fiji”, and the “Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste”. She also received Honorary Degree of Doctor of Civil Law from the University of Mauritius during her State visit to Mauritius.

The Tribal Presidential Candidate

Now, in 2022, she is on the verge of reaching the ultimate heights of her political career. On 18th July, the presidential elections are going to be held. In the month of June, Draupadi has been nominated as the presidential candidate by National Democratic Alliance. Altogether 15 candidates have filed the paper for nominations. But the situation is saying that Draupadi Murmu can be the next President of India as she is getting much support from the regional state parties.

It would really be an honor for the natives of Jharkhand to see a tribal woman as the President of India and that too who had once served the state of Jharkhand as Governor. We are really hopeful for the results and let’s shower our wishes and support in the favour of Draupadi Murmu. Let the best candidate win.

The Political Journey of Draupadi Murmu