Essays

Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the twelfth President of India was born on December 19, 1934 in Nadgaon village of Jalgaon District in Maharashtra. She assumed office as the country's first woman President On jnly 25, 2007. Immediately prior to her election as the President of India, Smt. Patil was the Governor of Rajasthan since November 2004

Smt. Patil received her early education from RR Vidyalaya, Jalgaon and l later obtained her Master's degree in Political Science and economics from the Mooljee Jetha College, Jalgaon. Later, she obtained the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Government Law College, Mumbai (then Bombay). While in college, she actively participated in   sports and excelled in table tennis, in which she won several shields at various inter-collegiate tournaments. She also organised the Women’s home Guard in Jalgaon District and was their Commandant in 1962.

Smt. Patil started her prolcssioii.il career as a practicing lawyer at The Jalgaon District Court and simultaneously devoted herself to various Social activities, especially, for the upliftment of poor women. She successfully contested her first election to the Maharashtra State legislature from the Jalgaon Assembly constituency at the young age of 27. Subsequently, she was elected as MLA from the Ediabad (Muktai nagar) constituency successively lour limes till 1985. Thereafter, she served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from 1985 to 1990 and was 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 till date.

During her long stint as an MLA in Maharashtra Legislative assembly, Smt. Pratibha Devising Patil held various positions in the government. She served as Deputy Minister, Public Health, Prohibition, Tourism, Housing and Parliamentary Affairs in the state Government from 1967 to 1972. She was then appointed a Minister with Cabinet rank and headed the Ministry of Social Welfare from 1972 to 1974. She was then shifted to the Ministry of Public Health and social Welfare during 1974-75. She was appointed as a Cabinet Minister, Prohibition, Rehabilitation and Cultural Affairs during 1975-76. Then she served as Cabinet Minister, Education during 1977-78.

While in the Opposition, Smt. Patil served as the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra from July 1979 to February 1980. After a gap of few years, she again served the State as Cabinet Minister for Urban Development and Housing during 1982- 83 and Cabinet Minister, Civil Supplies and Social Welfare from 1983 to 1985. Thus, she has vast experience owing to her stint with different Ministries and holding different portfotios.

When she was a Member of Rajya Sabha, Smt. Patil held the post of the Deputy Chairperson from 1986 to 1988 and as the Chairperson from 25.7.1987 to 2.9.1987 when Dr. R. Venkataraman got elected as President of India. During the same period, Smt. Patil was also the Chairperson of Committee of Privileges, Rajya Sabha and Member,   Business Advisory Committee, Rajya Sabha. While in the Lok Sabha she was the Chairperson of House Committee.

In her long public life, Smt. Patil has been associated with several institutions in wide ranging capacities. From 1982 to 1985, she served as Chairperson, Maharashtra Stale Water Pollution Control Board. Slip was also the President of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) from 1988 toss 1990. Besides holding (he position of Director and Vice-Chairperson, National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks and Credit Societies, she also served as Member of Governing Council, National Cooperative Union of India and Chairperson, 20-Poinl Programme  implementation committee, Government of Maharashtra.

Smt. Patil has represented India in various international fora. She attended the International Council on Social Welfare conferences at Nairobi and at Puerto Rico.   She was a Member of the AICC (I) delegation to Bulgaria in 1985 and participated in the Commonwealth Presiding Officers Conference in London in 1988. She led the Indian delegation to the Conference on the 'Status of Women' in Austria and was a delegate at the World Women's Conference held at Beijing, China in September 1995.

Smt. Patil has worked actively for the welfare of women and children and the underprivileged sections of society and has established several institutions for them. Some of the several institutions set up by her are:  hostels for  working women in Mumbai and Delhi, an Engineering  college at  Jalgaon for rural youth, the Shram Sadhana Trust which lakes  part in multifarious welfare activities for development of women, an  industrial Training School for the visually handicapped in Jalgaon,  schools  for poor children of Vimukta Jatis (Nomadic Tribes) and for  children of Backward Classes in Amravati District, and a Krishi Vigyan   Kendra (Farmers' Training Centre) at Amravati in Maharashtra.  Smt. Patil played a pioneering role in setting up the Mahila Vika Mahamandal, a Maharashtra State Government undertaking for the development of women. She was also instrumental in organizing music, computer and sewing classes for the poor and needy women at Amravati.

Smt. Patil is married to Dr. Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat, Doctorate in Chemistry from haffking Institute, and Mumbai. An educationist and a social worker in his own right. Dr. Shekhawat holds the distinction of being the first Mayor of Amravati Municipal Corporation. Subsequently, he represented Amravati constituency as its MLA.  The Patils have two children—a daughter, Jyoti Ralhore and a Son, kajendra Singh.