Spouse of the President of India

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

First Gentlemen/Ladies of India
State Emblem of India
Flag of India
Incumbent
Vacant
since 25 July 2022
Residence
Inaugural holderRajvanshi Devi
Formation26 January 1950; 74 years ago (1950-01-26)
DeputySpouse of the Vice President of India
This article is part of a series on the
Politics of India
Government
Parliament
Pralhad Joshi
Judiciary
  • Secretary General of Supreme Court Atul M. Kurhekar
Elections and political parties
Administrative divisions


Federalism
  • Judiciary
flag India portal

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]

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

President
No. 		Portrait Name Tenure President
1 Rajvanshi Devi
17 July 1886 – 9 September 1962
(aged 76) 		26 January 1950
–
12 May 1962 		Rajendra Prasad
m. 1896
2 Vacant[a] 12 May 1962

– 13 May 1967

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
3 Shah Jahan Begum 13 May 1967
–
3 May 1969 		Zakir Husain
m. 1915
Acting Saraswati Bai 3 May 1969
–
20 July 1969 		V. V. Giri
m. 1917
Acting Pushpa Shah[b] 20 July 1969
–
24 August 1969 		Mohammad Hidayatullah
m. 1948
4 Saraswati Bai 24 August 1969
–
24 August 1974 		V. V. Giri
m. 1917
5 Begum Abida Ahmed
17 July 1923 – 7 December 2003
(aged 80) 		24 August 1974
–
11 February 1977 		Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
m. 1945
Acting Sangamma Jatti 11 February 1977
–
25 July 1977 		B. D. Jatti
m. 1922
6 Neelam Nagaratnamma Reddy
[10] 		25 July 1977
–
25 July 1982 		Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
m. 1935
7 Pardhan Kaur[c]
[13][14] 		25 July 1982
–
25 July 1987 		Zail Singh
m. 1934
8 Janaki Venkataraman
1921 – 13 August 2010
(aged 88–89) 		25 July 1987
–
25 July 1992 		Ramaswamy Venkataraman
m. 1938
9 Vimala Sharma
1927 – 15 August 2020
(aged 93)
[15] 		25 July 1992
–
25 July 1997 		Shankar Dayal Sharma
m. 1950
10 Usha Narayanan[d]
1922 — 24 January 2008
(aged 85–86) 		25 July 1997
–
25 July 2002 		K. R. Narayanan
m. 1951
11 Vacant[e] 25 July 2002 
–
25 July 2007 		A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
12 Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat[f]
1934 – 24 February 2023
(aged 88–89)
[17] 		25 July 2007
–
25 July 2012 		Pratibha Patil
m. 1965
13 Suvra Mukherjee[g][h]
17 September 1940 – 18 August 2015
(aged 74) 		25 July 2012
–
18 August 2015 		Pranab Mukherjee
m. 1957
Vacant 18 August 2015

–

25 July 2017

14 Savita Kovind
(1952-04-15) April 15, 1952 (age 71) 		25 July 2017
–
25 July 2022 		Ram Nath Kovind
m. 1974
15 Vacant 25 July 2022

–

Present

Droupadi Murmu

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. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ "Dr. Rajendra Prasad –> 1st President of India". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  3. ^ "ZAKIR HUSAIN, DR". Vice President of India. Archived from the original on 9 November 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  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. ^ a b c d "The first ladies of Rashtrapati Bhavan". Live Mint. HT Media Ltd. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  6. ^ Nandan Jha, Durgesh (23 August 2015). "Suvra Mukherjee, President Pranab Mukherjee's wife, passes away". Times of India. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  7. ^ Ramachandran, Smriti Kak (27 July 2014). "President's daughter turns politician". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  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. ^ Gandhi, Gopalkrishna (26 January 2013). "Only half our story". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 23 August 2015.[dead link]
  10. ^ "Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy's wife passes away". The Hindu. 12 January 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  11. ^ Ramachandran, Smriti Kak (27 July 2014). "President's daughter turns politician". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  12. ^ a b "The first ladies of Rashtrapati Bhavan". Live Mint. HT Media Ltd. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  13. ^ "Giani Zail Singh's widow dead". The Tribune. India. 12 May 2002. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  14. ^ Hazarika, Sanjoy (26 December 1994). "Zail Singh, 78, First Sikh To Hold India's Presidency". New York Times. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  15. ^ "President Pranab Mukherjee pays tributes to Shanker Dayal Sharma". Zee News. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  16. ^ "Ex-First Lady Usha Narayanan dies at 86". The Indian Express. The Indian Express Ltd.
  17. ^ "The constant gardener". Hindustan Times. 16 August 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2020.