Profile of the President
Smt. Droupadi Murmu was sworn in as the 15th President of India on July 25, 2022. Prior to this, she served as the 9th Governor of the state of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021.
Early Life and Education
Smt. Droupadi Murmu was born on June 20, 1958, to a Santhal tribal family in Uparbeda in the remote Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. Her educational journey began at Uparbeda Primary School. Through her determination and passion for learning, she went on to study in Bhubaneshwar from class-VIII onwards. She became the first girl in her village to pass the matriculation examination and to earn a degree, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Economics in 1979 from Ramadevi Women’s College, Bhubaneswar.
Her early life was shaped by struggles, perseverance, and the strong moral values instilled by her family. She overcame social and financial challenges to become an inspiration for many in her community. These formative years laid the foundation for her later achievements in public service and leadership.
Professional Career
From 1979 to 1983, Smt. Murmu served as a Junior Assistant in the Irrigation and Power Department, Government of Odisha. Her passion for education and learning led her also to serve as an honorary teacher at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education & Research Centre, Rairangpur, from 1994 to 1997.
To this day, Smt. Murmu remains a vocal advocate for the transformative role that education plays in lives of women and girls from marginalised communities, often citing her own lived experience as an example.
Public Life
Smt. Droupadi Murmu, a leader deeply rooted in grassroots democracy, has served across all three tiers of governance with an unwavering commitment to inclusivity, responsiveness, and the upliftment of the marginalized.
Previous Posts Held by the Hon'ble President are as under:-
• Elected as Councillor of Rairangpur Notified Area Council in Mayurbhanj District, Odisha (1997) and subsequently became Vice Chairperson of Rairangpur NAC.
• Served two terms as Member of Legislative Assembly of Odisha (2000-2009) from Rairangpur Assembly Constituency.
• Minister of State (Independent Charge), Department of Commerce and Transport (March 2000-August 2002).
• Minister of State (Independent Charge), Department of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development (August 2002-May 2004).
• Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Department of Home, Government of Odisha.
• Member of various House Committees and Standing Committees of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, viz. House Committee on Railways, House Committee on Women and Child Welfare, Subject Committee on Panchayati Raj, Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, House Committee on Forest Protection, House Committee on Sarba Sikshya Abhiya, House Committee on Women and Child Welfare.
• Received the Pandit Nilkanth Das – Best Legislator Award (2007) by the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
• BJP National Vice-President, ST Morcha and State President, BJP ST Morcha of Odisha
• BJP District President of Mayurbhanj twice
Smt. Murmu was appointed the Governor of Jharkhand on 18 May 2015 and served the longest tenure as the Governor of Jharkhand (6 years 55 days). She was the first tribal woman Governor of a State with a significant tribal population, and received widespread appreciation for her statesmanship and adherence to democratic ethos. She introduced reforms in examination and recruitment processes of the State Universities. During her tenure as Governor, she also focused on improving quality of education in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, and undertook various measures to promote girl education.
In all her roles in public service, Smt Murmu introduced innovative initiatives and people-oriented measures. Uplifting the most neglected sections of society; gender justice; accessibility and efficiency of public services; sustainable environmental management and stewardship, and an inclusive, empathetic and transparent approach to governance remained the hallmarks of her vision of public service.
Other interests and initiatives
Smt. Murmu has been a leading voice for the preservation and promotion of India’s immense cultural and linguistic diversity. Notably, she played a key role in ensuring constitutional recognition for the unique Santali language as an official language of India, and supported initiatives for the codification of the Ol Chiki script. She has also supported several tribal socio-educational and cultural organisations. She is also an avid reader, and is deeply spiritual.
During her tenure as President, she has taken several initiatives to showcase India’s artistic and cultural heritage at Rashtrapati Bhavan. These include highlighting traditional Indian art, crafts, textiles, music and cuisine at State functions; and providing an inclusive platform for artisans and crafts-persons from all over India to present their unique traditional skills. She has also taken several steps to make Rashtrapati Bhavan more accessible and open to the public, especially for children and Divyangjan.
Personal Life
In 1980, Smt. Murmu married Shyam Charan Murmu, a bank officer. Shri Murmu passed away in 2014. Smt. Murmu’s daughter, Smt. Itishree Murmu, is banking professional, and her son-in-law, Shri Ganesh Hembram, is an international rugby player. She has two young grand-daughters, Adyashree and Nityashree.
Despite facing profound personal hardships, Smt Droupadi Murmu’s dedication to nation-building has remained steadfast, reflecting extraordinary resilience and strength. Her journey of perseverance and purpose continues to inspire, fostering a more inclusive and empowered India where every voice is heard, and every citizen has the opportunity to thrive.
Tours and State Visits
As President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu has travelled widely across the country. She has also travelled abroad to enhance India's global outreach and footprint. She visited the United Kingdom in 2022 and Vatican City in April 2025, and has also paid State Visits to Suriname and Serbia in 2023, Mauritius, Fiji, New Zealand, Timor-Leste, Algeria, Mauritania, Malawi in 2024, Portugal and Slovakia in 2025.
During these visits, she has made special efforts to engage with the Indian diaspora, highlighting their important contribution in strengthening India’s bilateral relations. She has been conferred the "Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star" of Suriname, the “Companion of the Order of Fiji”, and the “Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste”. She has also received Honorary Doctorate in Civil Law from the University of Mauritius, Honorary Doctorate in Political Science from Science & Technology Hub, Martyr Ihaddaden Abdelhafid University of Algeria, and Honorary Doctorate in Sciences from Constantine the Philosopher University, Slovakia.
