Sumitra Mahajan
Sumitra Mahajan सुमित्रा महाजन | |
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16th Speaker of the Lok Sabha | |
Assumed office 5 June 2014 | |
Deputy | M. Thambidurai |
Member of Parliament for Indore | |
Assumed office 1989 | |
Preceded by | Prakash Chandra Sethi |
Personal details | |
Born |
Chiplun, India | 11 April 1943
Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
Other political affiliations | National Democratic Alliance |
Spouse(s) | Jayant Mahajan |
Children | 2 sons |
Alma mater | Indore University |
Sumitra Mahajan (born 11 April 1943)[1] is an Indian politician who is the Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha.[2] She belongs to Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2014, she got elected to the Lok Sabha for the eighth time, one of three members of the 16th Lok Sabha to do so,[3] and is currently the longest-serving woman member.[4] She has represented the Indore constituency of Madhya Pradesh since 1989.
She served for a time as a Union Minister. She was minister from 2002 to 2004, holding the portfolios for Human Resources, Communications and Petroleum.[5] She is the eldest and senior most among woman Members of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha. She is the second woman after Meira Kumar to be elected as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. An active parliamentarian, she not only headed important committees, but has also been a keen debater and avid questioner in the house.
Early life and education
Sumitra Mahajan was born in a Chitpavan Konkanastha Brahmin family to Usha and Purushotam Sathe in Chiplun, Maharashtra. She received her MA and LLB from Indore University (now Devi Ahilya University) after marrying Jayant Mahajan of Indore. Sumitra Mahajan's hobbies include reading, music, drama and cinema as well as an enthusiasm for singing. She has acknowledged the 18th century social reformer Ahilyabai Holkar as the inspirational figure throughout her life.
Political career
She ran for the first time and won the Lok Sabha elections in 1989, against former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prakash Chandra Sethi. She has brought many projects for Indore from Railways, Aviation, Urban Development Ministry. She is known for simplicity, honesty and clean politics. She has a clean track record and has always maintained distances from Special Interest Group. She is popularly known as Tai, among people of her constituency.[6]
Positions held
1984-85: Deputy Mayor, Municipal Corporation, Indore
1989: Elected to 9th Lok Sabha
1990-91: Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare President, Mahila Morcha, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Madhya Pradesh
1991: Re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha (2nd term)
1991-92: Member, Joint Committee for 73rd Constitution Amendment Bill
1991-93: Member, Joint Committee for Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Bill, 1991
1991-96: Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Communications
1992-94 Vice-President, BJP, Madhya Pradesh
1995-96: Secretary, BJP, Parliamentary Board and Chairman, Parliamentary Board, Madhya Pradesh
1996: Re-elected to 11th Lok Sabha (3rd term)
1996-98: Secretary, BJP 1997: Member, Committee on Public Accounts
1998: Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (4th term)
1998 onwards: General-Secretary, BJP 1998-99: Convenor, Sub-Committee on Drug Control, Committee on Human Resource Development Member, Committee on Human Resource Development and its Sub-Committee-I on Value-based Education Member, Joint Committee on the Empowerment of Women and its Sub-Committee on Appraisal of Laws relating to Women—Criminal Laws Member, Committee on Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADs) Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Human Resource Development
1999: Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (5th term)
October 1999 - June 2002: Union Minister of State, Ministry of Human Resource Development
July 2002 - May 2003: Union Minister of State, Ministry of Communication & Information Technology
24 May 2003 - May 2004: Union Minister of State, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
2004: Re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha(6th term)
2004-2009: Member, General Purposes Committee Chairperson, Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment Member, Panel of Chairmen
2005: Prabhari, Mahilla Morcha, BJP Member, Consultative Committee on Civil Aviation
5 August 2007 - May 2009: Chairperson, Standing Committee on Social Justice & Empowerment
2009: Re-elected to 15th Lok Sabha (7th term)
June 2009: Member, Panel of Chairmen
31 August 2009: Chairperson, Standing Committee on Rural Development
23 September 2009: Member, Committee on Empowerment of Women
2014: Re-elected to 16th Lok Sabha (8th term)
In February, Sumitra Mahajan was included in the LIMCA book of records for being first Indian woman to represent the same Lok Sabha constituency on the same party ticket for eight times in a row.
Speaker of the Lok Sabha
On 6 June 2014, Mahajan was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha.[7] She had earlier worked as a member of the ‘Panel of Chairmen’ in the Lok Sabha.[8][9][10] She took the bold step of suspending 25 Congress MPs for five days from House for indiscipline in the House.[11]
References
- ↑ https://india.gov.in/my-government/indian-parliament/sumitra-mahajan-tai
- ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Sumitra-Mahajan-elected-Lok-Sabha-Speaker/articleshow/36136781.cms
- ↑ http://www.hindustantimes.com/elections2014/election-beat/more-new-than-old-in-lok-sabha-after-3-decades/article1-1221971.aspx
- ↑ http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/NAT-TOP-sumitra-mahajan-is-the-lady-who-scripted-history-got-her-name-recorded-in-guinne-4616589-PHO.html
- ↑ http://164.100.47.132/lssnew/Members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=220
- ↑ http://164.100.47.132/lssnew/Members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=220
- ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Sumitra-Mahajan-elected-Lok-Sabha-Speaker/articleshow/36136781.cms
- ↑ http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/bjp-leader-sumitra-mahajan-elected-speaker-of-lok-sabha-536977
- ↑ http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sumitra-mahajan-elected-lok-sabha-speaker-second-woman-to-occupy-the-post/477114-37-64.html
- ↑ http://sumitratai.in
- ↑ http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/politics/speaker-sumitra-mahajan-suspends-25-congress-mps-for-5-days_2305581.html
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by Meira Kumar |
Speaker of the Lok Sabha 2014–present |
Incumbent |