Former Governor of Jharkhand, Droupadi Murmu takes the oath as the 15th President of India today, she defeated opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in the presidential contest on July 18.
She is the second woman President of the country and first-ever tribal woman to hold the position and the first President to be born in independent India.
During her first address as President at the Central Hall of Indian Parliament, Murmu said that she is fortunate to be appointed as the president of India during the 75th year of India’s Independence.
“While 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. I am fortunate to have got this opportunity to serve during the 75th year of independence,” she said.
“It is the power of India's democracy that a girl born in a poor tribal home could reach the topmost constitutional post. I am the first President of the country who was born in independent India,” she added.
She started her political career as Rairangpur NAC vice-chairman. She served as a junior assistant in Irrigation and Power Department between 1979 and 1983 and has held several organizational posts in the BJP.
She was also the vice president of the state ST Morcha in 1997.
She was a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Rairangpur between 2000 and 2004 and Transport and Commerce, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries minister.
She again served as MLA in the Odisha assembly from 2004 to 2009.
Droupadi Murmu went on to become a national executive member of BJP's ST Morcha from 2013 to 2015 and served as the BJP district chief of Mayurbhanj (West) in 2010 and 2013.
Between 2006 and 2009, she was chief of BJP's ST Morcha in Odisha. She was also a member of the national executive of BJP ST Morcha from 2002 to 2009.