Draupadi Murmu
Draupadi Murmu
1958 — ?
Inde
Draupadi Murmu is an Indian stateswoman born in 1958 into a family from the Santali tribal community. The first woman from a tribal community to become President of India in 2022, she symbolizes the political rise of marginalized populations.
Key Facts
- Born on June 20, 1958, in Uparbeda, in the state of Odisha, into a family from the Santali tribal community
- Elected Governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021, the first woman to hold this position in that state
- Elected the 15th President of India on July 21, 2022, the first woman from a tribal (adivasi) community to hold this office
- Her election is seen as a powerful symbol of social inclusion in the world's largest democracy
- She is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and served several terms at the local and regional level before reaching the country's highest office
Works & Achievements
Draupadi Murmu served as a minister in the BJD-BJP coalition government of Odisha, holding portfolios including Commerce, Fisheries, and Animal Husbandry. She championed policies benefiting farmers and tribal fisherfolk in coastal areas.
Elected twice as representative for the Rairangpur constituency, she was recognized as the best legislator of the year by the Odisha assembly in 2007 — a rare distinction for a tribal woman representative. She championed rural development and education for marginalized communities.
The first woman to serve as Governor of Jharkhand, a state created in 2000 to address the aspirations of tribal peoples. Her tenure was defined by her commitment to adivasi land rights and her refusal to sign a controversial law on tribal lands.
The 15th President of India and the first from a Scheduled Tribe community, elected on July 21, 2022 with 64% of the electoral college vote. Her presidency symbolizes the inclusion of the most marginalized populations at the highest level of democratic institutions.
As Governor of Jharkhand, Draupadi Murmu refused to sign a bill that would have made it easier for non-tribal entities to acquire tribal lands. This act of constitutional resistance earned her widespread respect and popularity among adivasi communities.
Anecdotes
Born on June 20, 1958, in the village of Uparbeda in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, Draupadi Murmu belongs to the Santali community, one of the oldest indigenous peoples of India. As a child, she walked several kilometers each day to reach school, in a region where educating tribal girls was extremely rare. Her perseverance earned her a university degree from Rama Devi Women's College in Bhubaneswar.
Before entering politics, Draupadi Murmu worked as a teacher in a primary school in her home district. This educational background deeply shaped her commitment: throughout her career, she championed access to education for tribal communities and women in remote rural areas.
Her life was marked by tremendous personal hardship: she lost her husband Shyam Charan Murmu and both of her sons under tragic circumstances. In the face of these successive bereavements, she found solace in Brahma Kumaris spirituality and continued her public service, earning her profound admiration across her country.
On July 25, 2022, Draupadi Murmu was sworn in as the 15th President of the Republic of India. She became the first person from a Scheduled Tribe community and the second woman to hold the office, after Pratibha Patil (2007–2012). Her election was celebrated as a powerful symbol of inclusion in the world's largest democracy.
In her inaugural address, Draupadi Murmu declared that her election proved that the poor in India could dream — and make those dreams come true. She explicitly named indigenous peoples and marginalized communities as the symbolic recipients of her victory, lending historic weight to her assumption of office.
Primary Sources
This election is proof that the poor of India can dream and also fulfil their dreams. I am the daughter of a tribal region. My election is the victory of every poor, marginalized and oppressed Indian.
I commit to working for the development of all, especially tribal communities and rural areas that have waited far too long to benefit from progress.
The ancestral lands of Adivasi communities must be protected. Any development that drives tribal people off their land is not development — it is injustice.
I come from a village that had no electricity or paved roads when I was a child. If I have come this far, it is because of education and faith in our Constitution.
Key Places
Birthplace of Draupadi Murmu in 1958, this rural village in the Mayurbhanj district lies in a region with a large Santali tribal population. It is here that she grew up without electricity or modern infrastructure, before embarking on a remarkable journey to the presidency.
The university where Draupadi Murmu earned her arts degree, becoming one of the first women from her community to access higher education. This institution in the capital of Odisha was a decisive step in her empowerment through education.
A town in the Mayurbhanj district where Draupadi Murmu taught school, then was elected to the municipal council in 1996 and twice to the Odisha state legislature. It was in this town that she built her local political base.
The official residence of the Governors of Jharkhand, where Draupadi Murmu served from 2015 to 2021. This government palace was the setting in which she gained experience in the highest constitutional responsibilities.
The presidential palace of New Delhi and the official residence of the President of India since independence. It was here that Draupadi Murmu took up residence in July 2022, becoming the first occupant from a tribal community at this symbol of Indian republican power.
Gallery
Behar Herald
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Inconnu
Behar Herald
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Inconnu
Behar Herald
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Inconnu