Spouse_of_the_President_of_India

First ladies and gentlemen of India

First ladies and gentlemen of India

Spouse of the president of India.

Not to be confused with Spouse of the prime minister of India.

First Lady of India or First Gentleman of India is the title given to the host of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, usually the spouse of the president of India. There are no official roles or duties assigned to the spouse. The spouse generally attends official ceremonies and functions.[1]

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The position of a first spouse of India is currently vacant, as President Droupadi Murmu is widowed.

History

Rajvanshi Devi, the wife of India's first president, was the country's first lady from 1950 until 1962.[1] Devi kept a very low profile during this era and did not attend public events with President Rajendra Prasad.[1][2]

The post was vacant during the tenure of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and was followed by Shah Jahan Begum, who was the wife of India's third president, Zakir Husain.[3]

Saraswati Bai, wife of the country's fourth president, V. V. Giri, was the first first lady to take a more public role.[1] Bai's role marked a change from the lower profile of her predecessors.[1] She attended and hosted public events and became a recognizable figure to the Indian public.[1]

Begum Abida Ahmed, India's first lady from 1974 to 1977, further expanded the public role of the first lady's position by organizing ceremonies and official functions at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.[1][4] She was also the first among the first spouses to hold a public office when she was Member of Parliament between 1980 and 1989.

Usha Narayanan was the first spouse of foreign origin.

Before Pratibha Patil was sworn in as the first female president of India, the role of the wives of the president was to act as the chief hostess of the Bhavan. In 2007, the office room meant for the first lady went for some minor changes to accommodate the husband of Pratibha Patil, Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat, the country's inaugural "first gentleman".[5]

Former first lady Suvra Mukherjee, the wife of President Pranab Mukherjee, died in office on 18 August 2015. The position of First Lady remained vacant for the remainder of President Mukherjee's term.[6]

The position is currently vacant since 2022, as President Droupadi Murmu is a widow.

Role

The role of a first spouse is largely ceremonial. The first spouse has no official duties, but he or she generally attends the official ceremonies and functions held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan along with the president. Most of the first spouses have maintained a low profile.[5]

Non-spouses in the role

In case of the absence of a spouse, another relative of the president may take up the role of host or hostess during official functions at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. However, this is not mandatory, and the role of hostess has been vacant during the tenure of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.[5]

Zail Singh's daughter had served as hostess for some events.[7][5] Pranab Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee served as hostess for some events, during her mother's illness.[8]

List of first ladies and gentlemen of India

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See also

Notes

  1. Sivakamu Radhakrishnan, wife of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan died at her home in Madras in 1956, before her husband became President. Though she was the Second Lady of India at the time of her death.[9]
  2. Second Lady of India from 1979–1984
  3. Zail Singh's daughter had served as hostess for some events.[11][12]
  4. India's first foreign born (Burma) First Lady and the first one of foreign origin[16]
  5. The role of hostess, during official functions at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, was vacant during the tenure of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.[12]
  6. Shekhawat was India's first and only First Gentleman.
  7. Suvra Mukherjee was the first First Lady to die during her husband's presidency.
  8. While the position of First Lady was vacant following the death of First Lady Suvra Mukherjee, Mukherjee's daughter, Sharmistha Mukherjee, served as hostess for some events, during her mother's illness and following her death.

References

  1. [1]
    Rathi, Nandini (26 July 2017). "Savita Kovind enters Rashtrapati Bhavan, but India's First Ladies are yet to make a mark". Indian Express. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  2. [2]
    "Dr. Rajendra Prasad –> 1st President of India". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  3. [3]
    "ZAKIR HUSAIN, DR". Vice President of India. Archived from the original on 9 November 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  4. [4]
    "India's First Lady Moves Into the Official Spotlight". The New York Times. 25 October 1974. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  5. [5]
    "The first ladies of Rashtrapati Bhavan". Live Mint. HT Media Ltd. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  6. [6]
    Nandan Jha, Durgesh (23 August 2015). "Suvra Mukherjee, President Pranab Mukherjee's wife, passes away". Times of India. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  7. [7]
    Ramachandran, Smriti Kak (27 July 2014). "President's daughter turns politician". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  8. [8]
    Sandhu, Veenu (5 April 2013). "Sharmistha Mukherjee chose not to live in India's biggest house". Business Standard India. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  9. [9]
    Gandhi, Gopalkrishna (26 January 2013). "Only half our story". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 23 August 2015.[dead link]
  10. [10]
    "Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy's wife passes away". The Hindu. 12 January 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  11. [11]
    Ramachandran, Smriti Kak (27 July 2014). "President's daughter turns politician". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  12. [12]
    "The first ladies of Rashtrapati Bhavan". Live Mint. HT Media Ltd. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  13. [13]
    "Giani Zail Singh's widow dead". The Tribune. India. 12 May 2002. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  14. [14]
    Hazarika, Sanjoy (26 December 1994). "Zail Singh, 78, First Sikh To Hold India's Presidency". New York Times. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  15. [15]
    "President Pranab Mukherjee pays tributes to Shanker Dayal Sharma". Zee News. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  16. [16]
    "Ex-First Lady Usha Narayanan dies at 86". The Indian Express. The Indian Express Ltd.
  17. [17]
    "The constant gardener". Hindustan Times. 16 August 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
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