Who is Droupadi Murmu, India's 15th President?

Droupadi Murmu was born in a Santali tribal family on June 30, 1958, in Uparbeda village in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district. She completed her education in Bhubaneswar and went on to work first as a junior assistant in the State Irrigation and Power Department from 1979 to 1983. 

After this short stint as a clerk, she became a teacher at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre at Rairangpur till 1997.

Droupadi Murmu entered politics in 1997 

Murmu commenced her journey in the field of politics in 1997 by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She was first elected as the councilor of the Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat and then went on to become the chairperson of the same panchayat in 2000. Later, she also served as the national vice president of the BJP Scheduled Tribe Morcha.

Murmu became a member of the council of ministers in the BJP and Biju Janata Dal coalition government in Odisha, first becoming the minister of state with independent charge for commerce and transportation from March 2000 to August 2022 and then minister for fisheries and animal resources development from August 2002 to May 2004. 

A legislator from the Rairangpur assembly constituency in the years 2000 and 2004, Droupadi Murmu was conferred Nilkhantha Award for the best MLA by the Odisha assembly in 2007.

In 2015, she became the first woman governor of Jharkhand and also the first woman tribal leader from Odisha to be appointed as the governor of a state.

Watershed moment for India, says PM Modi after Droupadi Murmu assumes presidency

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described Droupadi Murmu taking over as India's new President as a "watershed moment" for the country, especially the poor, marginalised and downtrodden.

"The entire nation watched with pride as she took the oath," Modi said as he wished her the best for a fruitful tenure.

The entire nation watched with pride as Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji took oath as the President of India. Her assuming the Presidency is a watershed moment for India especially for the poor, marginalised and downtrodden. I wish her the very best for a fruitful Presidential tenure. pic.twitter.com/xcqBqRt2nc

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 25, 2022

"In her address after taking oath, President Droupadi Murmu Ji gave a message of hope and compassion. She emphasised on India's accomplishments and presented a futuristic vision of the path ahead at a time when India is marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav," the Prime Minister tweeted. 

In her address after taking oath, President Droupadi Murmu Ji gave a message of hope and compassion. She emphasised on India's accomplishments and presented a futuristic vision of the path ahead at a time when India is marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. pic.twitter.com/I2DEO5wHbO

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 25, 2022

Droupadi Murmu has become India's first tribal President.

ALSO READ | From APJ Abdul Kalam to Droupadi Murmu, here's why President of India takes oath on July 25

Droupadi Murmu assumes office of President at Rashtrapati Bhavan

President Droupadi Murmu assumes the office of the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Former President Ram Nath Kovind also present with her.

(Source: Rashtrapati Bhavan) pic.twitter.com/36Cnyyvqs5

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

Several state Governors also attended Droupadi Murmu's Presidential oath-taking ceremony

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd), Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai, were among those present at Droupadi Murmu's Presidential oath-taking ceremony.

Delhi | Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan,UP Governor Anandiben Patel, Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd), Telangana Governor & Puducherry LG Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan & Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai were present at Presidential oath-taking ceremony today pic.twitter.com/4TFPH0oS3p

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

WATCH: Tri Services Guard of Honour for President Droupadi Murmu, former President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan

LIVE: Tri Services Guard of Honour for President Smt Droupadi Murmu and former President Shri Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan https://t.co/1ZjNAaEq59

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2022

ALSO READ | Droupadi Murmu takes oath as India's 15th President, says 'reaching Presidential post not my personal achievement, it is...'

Droupadi Murmu sworn in as India's new President, see images of the oath-taking ceremony here

 Droupadi Murmu greets PM Modi, Sonia Gandhi, other leaders in Parliament after taking oath as President

President Droupadi Murmu greets PM Narendra Modi, Union Ministers, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and other dignitaries who attended her swearing-in ceremony at the Central Hall of the Parliament.

(Source: Sansad TV) pic.twitter.com/5TXzE1Zmvn

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

Dalits, backward, tribals can see me as their reflection: Droupadi Murmu

"Satisfying to me that the people who were devoid of development for years - the poor, Dalits, backward, the tribals - can see me as their reflection. My nomination has blessings of the poor behind it, it's a reflection of the dreams and capabilities of crores of women," says Draupadi Murmu after becoming India's first tribal woman President.

Reaching Presidential post is not my personal achievement, it is...: Droupadi Murmu

After taking the oath as India's new President, Droupadi Murmu said that reaching the Presidential post is not her personal achievement, but it is the achievement of every poor in India.

"My nomination is evidence that the poor in India can not only dream but also fulfill those dreams," she said.

Reaching the Presidential post is not my personal achievement, it is the achievement of every poor in India. My nomination is evidence that the poor in India can not only dream but also fulfill those dreams:
President Droupadi Murmu

(Source: Sansad TV) pic.twitter.com/eYn6stmgWe

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

Droupadi Murmu is the first President of India who was born in independent India 

"We will have to speed up our efforts to meet the expectations that our freedom fighters had with the citizens of independent India," Droupadi Murmu, who is now the first President of India who was born in independent India, said after taking the oath to the office. 

President Droupadi Murmu receives thunderous applause at the Central Hall of the Parliament.

(Source: Sansad TV) pic.twitter.com/PMnWjRelGP

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

Your trust and support will be a major strength for me, says Droupadi Murmu after taking oath as President 

After taking oath as the President of India, Droupadi Murmu said, "Standing in the Parliament - the symbol of expectations, aspirations and rights of all Indians - I humbly express my gratitude to all of you."

"Your trust and support will be a major strength for me to carry out this new responsibility," Murmu added.

Droupadi Murmu administered oath of office by CJI NV Ramana

President-elect Droupadi Murmu was administered the oath of office by CJI NV Ramana. 

CJI NV Ramana administers oath of office, President-elect Droupadi Murmu becomes the 15th President of India.

She is the second woman President of the country, first-ever tribal woman to hold the highest Constitutional post and the first President to be born in independent India pic.twitter.com/qXd9Kzcg2z

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

Droupadi Murmu's swearing-in ceremony LIVE: Murmu takes oath as India's 15th President, becomes first tribal woman to occupy highest office

Droupadi Murmu arrives at Parliament, to take oath as India's 15th President shortly

President-elect Droupadi Murmu has arrived at the Parliament. She will take oath as India's 15th President shortly.

Delhi | President-elect Droupadi Murmu and outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind arrive at the Parliament.

(Source: Sansad TV) pic.twitter.com/Zp2IguLnUj

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

President-elect Droupadi Murmu leaves from Rashtrapati Bhavan for Parliament

President-elect Droupadi Murmu and Outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind leave from Rashtrapati Bhavan for the Parliament. Murmu will take oath as the 15th President of India shortly.

Delhi | Outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind and President-elect Droupadi Murmu leave from Rashtrapati Bhavan for the Parliament.

President-elect Droupadi Murmu will take oath as the 15th President of India, shortly. pic.twitter.com/XqjlwPLGvl

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

Droupadi Murmu to become first tribal woman, second woman President of India shortly

Droupadi Murmu will shortly become the first tribal woman and the second woman President of India.

Murmu will be administered oath as the 15th President of India by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana at the historic Central Hall of the Parliament.

Droupadi Murmu's swearing-in ceremony: Delhi police issues traffic advisory

In view of the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect of India Droupadi Murmu, Delhi Police has issued a traffic advisory and said that vehicular movement is likely to be affected in the national capital.

Police has asked commuters to avoid roundabout Kautilya, Teen Murti Marg, roundabout Teen Murti, Akbar Road, roundabout Gol Methi, Krishna Menon Marg, Vijay Chowk, K Kamraj Marg from 9 am to noon on Monday.

Other roads to be avoided are roundabout Sunehri Masjid, Rafi Marg, roundabout Rail Bhawan, Sansad Marg, Imtiaz Khan Marg, Gurudwara Rakabganj Road, roundabout Patel Chowk, Raisina Road, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, Maulana Azad Road and Motilal Nehru Marg.

Imtiaz Khan Marg, Gurudwara Rakabganj Road, R/A Patel Chowk, Raisina Road, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, Maulana Azad Road and Motilal Nehru Marg from 0900 hrs to 1200 hrs on 25.07.22.

— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) July 24, 2022

Droupadi Murmu's oath-taking ceremony 

LIVE: Swearing-in-Ceremony of the President-elect Smt Droupadi Murmu https://t.co/34DbgoUw1H

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2022

WATCH: President-elect Droupadi Murmu pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat

LIVE: President-elect Smt Droupadi Murmu pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat https://t.co/72sto2wDl3

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2022

Outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind, his wife extend greetings to Droupadi Murmu

Outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind have extended their greetings to President-elect Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Delhi | Outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind extend greetings to President-elect Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

(Source: Rashtrapati Bhavan) pic.twitter.com/1OSIqsWJil

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

#WATCH | Delhi: Outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind extend greetings to President-elect Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

(Video Source: Rashtrapati Bhavan) pic.twitter.com/DF6dN6iVNQ

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

Droupadi Murmu visits Rajghat, pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi

Hours before taking oath as the new President of India, Droupadi Murmu visited Rajghat and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

President-elect #DroupadiMurmu pays tribute at Rajghat in Delhi.

(Pics Source: Sansad TV) pic.twitter.com/5us9KIUBL7

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

Droupadi Murmu leaves for Rajghat

Ahead of taking oath as President of India, Droupadi Murmu has left for Rajghat to pay homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

#WATCH | Delhi: President-elect Droupadi Murmu leaves from her residence, for Rajghat. Later today, she will take oath as the 15th President of the country in the Central Hall of Parliament. pic.twitter.com/MBDFKDD6QG

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

Who is Droupadi Murmu, who will take oath as India's 15th President?

Droupadi Murmu was born in a Santali tribal family on June 30, 1958, in Uparbeda village in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district. She completed her education in Bhubaneswar and went on to work first as a junior assistant in the State Irrigation and Power Department from 1979 to 1983. 

After this short stint as a clerk, she became a teacher at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre at Rairangpur till 1997.

Droupadi Murmu entered politics in 1997 

Murmu commenced her journey in the field of politics in 1997 by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She was first elected as the councilor of the Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat and then went on to become the chairperson of the same panchayat in 2000. Later, she also served as the national vice president of the BJP Scheduled Tribe Morcha.

Murmu became a member of the council of ministers in the BJP and Biju Janata Dal coalition government in Odisha, first becoming the minister of state with independent charge for commerce and transportation from March 2000 to August 2022 and then minister for fisheries and animal resources development from August 2002 to May 2004. 

A legislator from the Rairangpur assembly constituency in the years 2000 and 2004, Droupadi Murmu was conferred Nilkhantha Award for the best MLA by the Odisha assembly in 2007.

In 2015, she became the first woman governor of Jharkhand and also the first woman tribal leader from Odisha to be appointed as the governor of a state.

Droupadi Murmu, India's first tribal President, overcame great personal tragedies

During her political journey, Droupadi Murmu faced several lows in her life. Her husband Shyam Charan Murmu passed away in 2014.

She also lost both of her sons, all in a span of just 4 years.

NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu was officially declared as the 15th President of the country after the conclusion of the counting of votes on July 21. While Murmu received 2,824 votes with a value of 6,76,803, her opponent Yashwant Sinha secured 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177.

A total of 4,809 MPs and MLAs cast their votes in the polling that took place on July 18.

Outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind hosts dinner for President-elect Droupadi Murmu

On Sunday, outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind hosted dinner for President-elect Smt Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of the Union Council of Ministers at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

President Shri Ram Nath Kovind hosted dinner for President-elect Smt Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of the Union Council of Ministers at Rashtrapati Bhavan. pic.twitter.com/xRLPzOYxlB

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 24, 2022

Droupadi Murmu may wear a traditional Santali saree for her oath-taking ceremony

Droupadi Murmu is likely to wear a traditional Santali saree when she takes the oath of office in Delhi today. According to news agency PTI, her sister-in-law Sukri Tudu has travelled to Delhi with a special saree used by Santal women in Eastern India.

"I am carrying a Santali traditional saree for `Didi' (elder sister) and pray she will wear it during the oath taking. I am not sure what she will actually wear on the occasion. The Rashtrapati Bhawan will decide the dress of the new president," Sukri was quoted as saying by PTI.

The Santali sarees have some stripe work on one end and are worn by the Santal women on special occasions. The saree is vertically symmetric and has bothends designed with the same motifs.

Droupadi Murmu's swearing-in ceremony to begin around 10:15 AM

Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to reach the Rashtrapati Bhawan around 9:20 AM, following which, if it doesn't rain, a ceremonial function will be conducted in the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan. The swearing-in ceremony will then start around 10:15 AM and Murmu will be administered oath by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana.

After taking the oath, Murmu will then address the gathering in the Central Hall and return to the Rashtrapati Bhawan in a ceremonial procession.

Ahead of taking oath as President of India, Droupadi Murmu to visit Rajghat

Ahead of taking oath as the 15th President of India, Droupadi Murmu will visit Rajghat to pay homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

Droupadi Murmu will become 10th successive president to take oath on July 25

Droupadi Murmu will today also become the 10th successive president to take oath on July 25 since 1977. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, the sixth president of India, took oath on July 25, 1977. Since then successive presidents including Giani Zail Singh, R Venkataraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma, K R Narayanan, A P J Abdul Kalam, Pratibha Patil, Pranab Mukherjee and Ram Nath Kovind have taken oath on July 25.

Droupadi Murmu to take oath as 15th President of India today

Droupadi Murmu will today take oath as the 15th President of India and will become the first tribal woman in the country to occupy the highest office in the country. The oath-taking ceremony, which comes three days after she registered a historic win over her rival Yashwant Sinha in the July 18 Presidential election, will take place in the Central Hall of Parliament in Delhi.

The 64-year-old will be escorted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha M Venkaiah Naidu, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to the Central Hall. 

Droupadi Murmu, a former Jharkhand governor, will be administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana.