Pratibha Devisingh Patil (Marathi: प्रतिभा देवीसिंह पाटील) (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.
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.
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 theMaharashtra 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 and traffic policing, 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.
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