Early Life: Pratibha Devisingh Patil (Born 19 December 1934) Is The

Pratibha Devisingh Patil (born 19 December 1934) is the 12th
and current President of the Republic of India and first woman to

hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on 25 July
2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
She is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC), was

nominated by the ruling United Progressive Alliance and Indian Left.
She won the presidential election held on 19 July 2007 defeating her
nearest rival Bhairon Singh Shekhawat .[1][2][3]
Early life
Pratibha Patil was born in Nadgaon village of Jalgaon District,
Maharashtra. She received her early education from RR Vidyalaya,
Jalgaon and later obtained her master’s degree in political science
and economics from the Mooljee Jaitha College in Jalgaon, which was
then affiliated with the University of Poona. While in college, she
took active part in sports, excelled in table tennis and won several
shields at various inter-collegiate tournaments. Even as an MLA, she
pursued her studies as a law student. Later, she obtained a law
degree from the Government Law College, of the University of
Bombay.
Career
Pratibha Patil started her professional career as a practicing lawyer
at the Jalgaon District Court and worked on various social activities,
especially, for the upliftment of poor women.
At the young age of 27 years, she successfully contested her first

election to the Maharashtra State Legislature from the Jalgaon
Assembly constituency. Subsequently she was continuously elected
four times as MLA from the Edlabad (Muktai Nagar) constituency
until 1985. Thereafter, she served as a Member of Parliament in the
Rajya Sabha from 1985 to 1990 and later elected as a Member of
Parliament to the 10th Lok Sabha in the 1991 General Elections
from the Amravati constituency. She enjoys the unique distinction of
not having lost a single election that she contested to date.
Patil represented Edlabad constituency in Jalgaon District,

Maharashtra as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
(1962–1985), and was deputy chairwoman of the Rajya Sabha
(1986–1988), Member of Parliament from Amravati in the Lok Sabha
(1991–1996), and the 24th, and the first woman Governor of
Rajasthan (2004–2007).
Positions held
• Deputy Minister, Public Health, Prohibition, Tourism, Housing and

Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Maharashtra from 1967 to 1972,
• Cabinet Minister, Social Welfare, Government of Maharashtra from 1972 to
1974,
• Cabinet Minister, Public Health and Social Welfare, Government of
Maharashtra from 1974 to 1975,
• Cabinet Minister, Prohibition, Rehabilitation and Cultural Affairs,
Government of Maharashtra from 1975 to 1976,
• Cabinet Minister, Education, Government of Maharashtra from 1977 to 1978,
• Cabinet Minister, Urban Development and Housing, Government of
Maharashtra from 1982 to 1983, and
• Cabinet Minister, Civil Supplies and Social Welfare, Government of
Maharashtra from 1983 to 1985.
• While in the Opposition, she also served as the Leader of Opposition in the
Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra from July 1979 to February 1980.
Patil was the Deputy Chairperson, Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1988
and also served as the Chairperson, Rajya Sabha from July 1987 to
September 1987 when Dr. R. Venkataraman got elected as
President of India. She was also the Chairperson, Committee of
Privileges, Rajya Sabha and Member, Business Advisory Committee,
Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1988. While in the Lok Sabha, Patil was
the Chairperson, House Committee.
Presidential Election 2007

Main article: Indian presidential election, 2007
On 14 June, United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the ruling alliance of

political parties in India headed by Congress (I), and the Indian left
nominated her as their candidate for the Presidential Election to be
held on 19 July 2007.[4] She emerged as a compromise candidate
after the Left parties would not agree to the nomination of past
Home Minister Shivraj Patil. At that point, Sonia Gandhi proposed
Pratibha Patil's name. Her loyalty to Nehru-Gandhi family was widely
perceived to be a major factor in her nomination as UPA-Left
Presidential candidate.[5]
As a result of the potential that she would become the first female
President of India, UPA Chairwoman Sonia Gandhi described her
nomination as a "historic occasion" in India's 60th year of
independence.
Before leaving Jaipur for New Delhi, she thanked Sonia Gandhi for
choosing her and said that her first job as president would be to
make National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) started by
UPA a success.[6] In Delhi she asserted that she would not be a
rubber stamp president.[5]
Accompanied by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress

chief Sonia Gandhi she filed her nomination on 23 June which was
found to be valid after scrutiny. She faced Bhairon Singh Shekhawat,
an NDA supported candidate, in a straight contest, and visited state
capitals to garner support. Her campaign got a major boost with
decision of UNPA to abstain from voting.
The Leader of the Opposition L K Advani sought intervention of

Election Commission of India to get Pratibha Patil to declare her
assets,[7] but this was rejected by the Commission.
Shiv Sena, an important ally of NDA, declared its support to Pratibha

Patil on the grounds that she will be the first Maharashtrian to hold
this prestigious post. This decision of Shiv Sena created trouble in
BJP-Sena alliance.[8]
Presidency
She won the presidential election held on 19 July 2007 defeating her nearest rival
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat by over 300,000 votes. She took office as India's first
woman president on 25 July 2007.
Pratibha Women Cooperative Bank

Main article: Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank
Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank, a cooperative bank set up by

Pratibha Patil in 1973 in her name, to empower women, had its
license revoked in 2003 by the Reserve Bank of India for alleged
financial irregularities. Among the reasons listed by the RBI for
cancellation of the license was the faulty loan policy of the bank and
loan interest waivers given, among others, to Pratibha Patil's
relatives.[28] Pratibha Patil was one of the chairpersons of the Bank
and along with a number of her relatives, was one of its directors.
She is currently one of the 34 respondents in an ongoing case in the
Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on the subject of
mismanagement of the bank and misappropriation of funds by its
Managing Directors.[29][30]
In her defence, her supporters point out that she was not the
founding president[31] of the bank, and that she held the job of the
chairwoman for only a month and eight days.[32] They also point out
that the RBI has never mentioned Patil's name in the report,[31] and
the court has not charge-sheeted her.[33] Communist leader A.B.
Bardhan cast doubts on the credibility of the official employees
union of the bank, which has been highlighting the issue of the
banks mismanagement since 2002, drawing attention to the fact
that it is associated with the BMS union led by the BJP.[33]

Early Life: Pratibha Devisingh Patil (Born 19 December 1934) Is The

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Early Life: Pratibha Devisingh Patil (Born 19 December 1934) Is The

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Early Life: Pratibha Devisingh Patil (Born 19 December 1934) Is The

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Pratibha Devisingh Patil (born 19 December 1934) is the 12th

and current President of the Republic of India and first woman to

She is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC), was

At the young age of 27 years, she successfully contested her first

Patil represented Edlabad constituency in Jalgaon District,

• Deputy Minister, Public Health, Prohibition, Tourism, Housing and

Presidential Election 2007

On 14 June, United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the ruling alliance of

Accompanied by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress

The Leader of the Opposition L K Advani sought intervention of

Shiv Sena, an important ally of NDA, declared its support to Pratibha

Pratibha Women Cooperative Bank

Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank, a cooperative bank set up by

You might also like