Mrs Pratibha Devisingh Patil, President of the Republic of India, has played an active role in public life. Before becoming President, she was the Governor of Rajasthan from 2004 to 2007.
Mrs Pratibha Patil was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991 and was the Chairperson of the House Committee in the Lok Sabha. She was the Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1988.
Earlier she held various ministerial positions in the Maharashtra Government, including:
Mrs Patil did her MA from MJ College, Jalgaon (Maharashtra), and LLB from Govt Law College, Mumbai. She has practiced as an advocate in Jalgaon.
Mrs Pratibha Devisingh Patil was born on December 19, 1934 in District Jalgaon, Maharashtra. She got her higher education from M J College, Jalgaon, and Government Law College, Mumbai, and acquired MA and LLB degrees. She practised as an advocate in Jalgaon, and also worked as a social worker.
She made her entry into public life as a member, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, in 1962. Thereafter, she has continuously played an active role in the political and public sphere, in various capacities:
- 1962-85: Member, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
- 1967-72: Deputy Minister, Public Health, Prohibition, Tourism, Housing and Parliamentary Affairs, Maharashtra
- 1972-74: Cabinet Minister, Social Welfare, Maharashtra
- 1974-75: Cabinet Minister, Public Health and Social Welfare, Maharashtra
- 1975-76: Cabinet Minister, Prohibition, Rehabilitation and Cultural Affairs, Maharashtra
- 1977-78: Cabinet Minister, Education, Maharashtra
- July 1979 to February1980: Leader of Opposition, CLP(I), Maharashtra
- 1982-83: Cabinet Minister, Urban Development and Housing, Maharashtra
- 1983-85: Cabinet Minister, Civil Supplies and Social Welfare, Maharashtra
- June, 1985-90: Elected to the Rajya Sabha
- November 18, 1986, to November 5, 1988: Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha
- 1986-88: Chairman, Committee on Privileges, Rajya Sabha Member, Business Advisory Committee, Rajya Sabha
- 1991: Elected to 10th Lok Sabha; Chairperson, House Committee, Lok Sabha
- 2004-07: Governor of Rajasthan
Mrs Patil has held several other positions of responsibility. She was the President, Pradesh Congress Committee, Maharashtra (1988-1990). She was also Director, National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks & Credit Societies; Member, Governing Council, National Cooperative Union of India; Conference Member, AICC (I); Vice Chairman, National Federation for Co-operative Urban Banks and Credit Societies; and Chairman- 20-points Programme Implementation Committee, Maharashtra.
As part of her social welfare activities, she established a hostel for working women in Mumbai and Delhi; established an Engineering College at Jalgaon for the benefit of the rural youth, established the Mahila Vikas Mahamandal, a Government-owned Corporation, and helped in the establishment of the Mahila Cooperative Bank at Jalgaon. She organised the Women Home Guards in Jalgaon District, and was their Commandant at the time of Chinese aggression in 1962.
She has helped establish 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; a Co-operative Credit Society and Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Amravati to teach new techniques and scientific ways of cultivation to farmers; and music, computer and sewing classes for the poor and needy women at Amravati. While a Minister in the Government of Maharashtra, she established the Government-owned Corporation Mahila Vikas Mahamandal.
Mrs Pratibha Patil is Managing Trustee, Shram Sadhana Trust, which takes part in multifarious welfare activities for development of women; and the Chief Promoter and Chairperson of a Sugar Factory in Jalgaon District.
She is married to Dr Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat, and has one son and one daughter.
