Droupadi Murmu was born on 20 June 1958 in Uparbeda village in the Baidaposi area of Rairangpur, Odisha. Her father was a farmer and her family named her Puti Tudu. She studied elementary education at the local primary school in Uparbeda and later moved to Bhubaneswar for higher studies. She completed her secondary education at Girl's High School Unit-2 and graduated with B.A. from Rama Devi Women's College. Murmu is married to a banker and has two sons and a daughter. She is a follower of the Brahma Kumaris spiritual movement and admires India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, as well as Mahatma Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar. Murmu has faced personal tragedies with the deaths of her husband, two sons, mother, and brother in a span of 7 years, from 2009 to 2015.
From 1979 to 1983, Droupadi Murmu worked as a junior assistant at the irrigation department of the Government of Odisha. Later, from 1994 to 1997, she worked as a teacher at the Sri Aurobindo Integral Education and Research Centre in Rairangpur, teaching Hindi, Odia, Maths, and Geography. Interestingly, she never claimed a full salary at the school.
Droupadi Murmu was elected as the councilor of the Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat in 1997 as an independent candidate from a reserved seat for women. She then joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In 2000, she won the Odisha Legislative Assembly election from the Rairangpur Assembly constituency and served two terms in the Odisha Legislative Assembly between 2000 and 2009. During the BJP and BJD coalition government in Odisha, she was the Minister of State with Independent Charge for Commerce and Transportation and later for Fisheries and Animal Resources Development. In 2007, she received the Nilkanth Award for the Best MLA of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. However, in 2009, she lost the Lok Sabha election from the Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha constituency as the BJD and BJP alliance had ended. She was elected to the BJP National Executive (ST Morcha) in 2013 and served as the district president until 2015.
Droupadi Murmu became the first woman Governor of Jharkhand on May 18, 2015. She administered the oath of office to Hemant Soren as Chief Minister of Jharkhand in 2019. During her tenure, there were criticisms that she did not do enough to ensure that the self-governance rights granted to tribal communities were implemented properly. The Pathalgadi movement was also a significant event during her tenure, in which she was criticized for her soft stand on police aggression against tribal communities. She refused to give assent to the proposed amendments to the Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908 and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, 1949, which had caused intense pressure from opposition parties. In 2017, she approved the Freedom of Religion Bill, 2017, and the bill to amend the Land Acquisition 2013 Act passed by the Jharkhand Assembly.
Droupadi Murmu was sworn in as the 15th President of India on 26 July 2022, making her the first person from India's designated tribal communities to hold the position. She is also the youngest and first individual born after India's independence in 1947 to be elected President, as well as the second woman after Pratibha Patil to serve in the role. Murmu addressed the nation for the first time on 14 August 2022, on the eve of the 75th Independence Day. In September 2022, she launched a government program to eradicate tuberculosis from the country. She also became the first President of India to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara festival in Karnataka. During her initial months in office, Murmu visited various states in the northeast and participated in ceremonies for various development projects. In November 2022, she visited her home state of Odisha and launched various programs, including a visit to her alma mater school and a walk to pay obeisance to the deities of the Puri Jagannath Temple.
Draupadi Murmu has been an inspiration to millions of women in the country, especially those belonging to tribal communities. She has shown that with hard work, determination, and perseverance, anything is possible. Her story is a reminder that no matter how difficult the journey may be, it is always possible to achieve your dreams.
In conclusion, Draupadi Murmu's journey is an inspiration to all of us. Her story shows that no matter how tough the journey may be, with hard work, dedication, and perseverance, anything is possible. She has broken barriers and shattered stereotypes, becoming an icon of hope and a true inspiration to women across India. Her contribution to the nation and her dedication to the welfare of tribal communities will always be remembered.
