31.03.1945

Family Details :

• Married to Manjul Kumar, Advocate Supreme Court of India
• Son Anshul, daughter-in-law Manica, grand-daughter Anahita
• Daughter Swati, son-in-law Ranjit, grand-daughter Amrita, grand-son Anhad
• Daughter Devangana, son-in-law Amit, grand-son Farzan

Family History:

• Daughter of late Babu Jagjivan Ram, freedom fighter, crusader for social justice and Deputy Prime Minister
• Mother, late lndrani Devi, freedom fighter, social worker and author of many books

Education:

• Senior Cambridge
• B.A., LLB, M.A. (English)
• Advanced Diploma in Spanish
  

Language :

Proficient in English, Spanish, Hindi, Sanskrit, Bhojpuri

Indian Foreign Service:

• Joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1973
• Served in the Embassy of India, Madrid, Spain; High Commission of India, London, U.K.; and Ministry of External Affairs, Delhi
• Member, Indo-Mauritius joint Commission to Mauritius, 1984
• Member, Official delegation accompanying the President of India on State visit to Mauritius, People's Democratic Republic of Yemen and Yemen Arab Republic, 1984
   

Parliamentary Career:

• Member of Parliament (Congress), 8th Lok Sabha from Bijnor, U.P. {Resigned from the Indian Foreign Service to enter politics after late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, asked her to contest the Bijnor bye-election}
• Member of Parliament (Congress), 11th Lok Sabha from Karol Bagh, Delhi. Was one of the two Congress candidates to win in Delhi
• Member of Parliament (Congress), 12th Lok Sabha from Karol Bagh, Delhi. Was the only Congress candidate to win in Delhi
• Member of Parliament (Congress) 14th Lok Sabha from Sasaram, Bihar, the Constituency held by Babu Jagjivan Ram for over 50 years. Won with the highest margin in Bihar
• Member of Parliament (Congress) 15th Lok Sabha from Sasaram, Bihar
• Among the very few leaders to win Lok Sabha elections from three different States
• Member, Indian Parliamentary Group
• Member, Inter Parliamentary Union

Congress Party Responsibilities:

• General Secretary, All India Congress Committee, 1991-92, 1996-99
• Member, Congress Working Committee, 1991-2000, 2002-2004

Ministerial Responsibilities:

• Union Cabinet Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, 2004-2009
• Union Cabinet Minister for Water Resources, 2009

Delegations Abroad:

• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to 129th Assembly of Inter Parliamentry Union,Geneva,Switzerland,7 to 9 October 2013.
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the Seventh Conference of Association of SAARC Speakers & Parliamentarians,Male,Maldives,21 - 23 December,2013.
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Slovenia,27 - 31 May,2013.
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Belarus,20 - 22 May,2013.
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Myanmar,12 - 15 February,2013.
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Sixth Conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians at Islamabad, Pakistan, 4-6 November, 2012.
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 127th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Quebec City, Canada, 21-26 October, 2012
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference at Colombo, Sri Lanka, 11-15 September,2012
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to CPA Mid-Year Executive Committee Meeting at Tonga, 17 to 21 April, 2012
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to New Zealand, 13 to 16 April,2012
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Kampala, Uganda, 31 March - 5 April, 2012.
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Pakistan, 21-25 February, 2012
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay 13-20 January, 2012
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 21st Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers Conference, Port of Spain, 7-12 January, 2012
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Iran, 2-5 November, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to 125th Assembly of Inter Parliamentary Union, Bern, Switzerland, 16-19 October, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Japan, 2-6 October, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to 57th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, London, United Kingdom, 21-28 July, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Denmark, 16-18 June, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Sweden, 13-15 June, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the Second G-20 Speakers' Consultation Meeting at Seoul, 18-20 May, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Vietnam, 14-17 May, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliament Delegation to the 124th IPU Assembly held in Panama City, Panama, 15-20 April, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Mexico, 11-14 April, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to 3rd CPA Asia Regional Conference, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 11-16 February, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to United Kingdom, 15 to 19 January, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the Meeting of Standing Committee of CSPOC at Isle of Man, 12 to 15 January, 2011
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 123rd IPU Assembly Geneva, 1-8 October 2010
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to 56th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Kenya, September 2010
• Participated in the Sixth Annual Meeting of Women Speakers of Parliament held in Berne on 16-17 July 2010, Fourth and Fifth (Final) Meeting of the Preparatory Committee held in Geneva on 18-20 July 2010 and 3rd World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva from 19-21 July 2010
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Mongolia, 26-30 June, 2010
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Hungary and Luxembourg, 7-13 June, 2010
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Bhutan, 26-29 May, 2010
• Leader of Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Mid-Year Executive Committee Meeting in Swaziland, 8-13 May, 2010
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 122nd IPU Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, March-April, 2010
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Mauritius, 17-22 January, 2010
• Second Meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the Third World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments in New York, 16-17 November, 2009
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 121st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Geneva, October 2009
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to 55th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Arusha, Tanzania, September, October 2009
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Austria, 14-17 September, 2009
• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the meeting of Speakers of Lower Chambers of G-8 and outreach countries, Rome (Itlay), 12-13 September, 2009
• Official visit to Belgium, 2008
• Official visit to Mauritius, 2007
• Official visit to Egypt, 2007
• Accompanied President Dr. Abdul Kalam on State visit to Tanzania & South Africa, 2004
• Leader, Indian Non-Government Delegation, to United Nations Preparatory Committee Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, Geneva, 2000
• Member, all party delegation of MPs to conference on Towards Detente in the Sub-Continent, Islamabad, Pakistan, 1999
• Chief Speaker, Golden Jubilee Celebration of India's Independence, University of Hull, England, 1997
• Leader, Congress Party delegation to POSSAC Conference, Athens Greece, 1996
• Leader, Congress Party delegation, to World Conference on Solidarity with Cuba, Havana, 1994
• Leader, Congress Party delegation to inaugurate Indian National Congress of America, San Francisco, 1994
• Member, Government of India delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, New York, USA, 1994
• Member, Congress Party delegation to Mauritius for MMM (the ruling party) Conference, 1993
• Chief Speaker, Guru Ravidas Birth Anniversary celebrations, United Kingdom, 1993
• Leader, Indian delegation to Detroit, USA for Conference on Democracy, 1989
• Leader, Congress Party delegation to Sweden for Socialist International Women Conference, 1989
• Participant, Inter-Parliamentary Conference, Bulgaria, 1987
• Member, Congress Party delegation to Mauritius for MMM (the ruling party) Conference, 1987

Social and Cultural Activities:

• Committed towards ensuring social & economic equity, empowerment of weaker sections. Especially active in movements relating to social sector reforms, human rights and democracy.
• Former President, All India Samta Movement
• Former President, Ravidas Smarak Society, Varanasi, from 2000-2006
• Former Chairperson, Meera Kala Mandir, Udaipur
• Chairperson, Jagjivan Ram Sanatorium Dehri-on-Sone, 2000-2006
• Former, President, Jagjivan Seva Ashram, Sasaram
• Former, Chairperson, Rajendra Bhawan Trust
• Member, Supreme Court Bar Association, from 1986
• Managing Trustee, Jagjivan Ashram Trust, Delhi, 1985-2004
• President, RVAKV Society Delhi (institution for blind girls), 1992-98
• Member, Senate Punjab University, 1987-91
• Member, Senate Patna University, 1969-71
• Member, Governing Body, Indian Council for Cultural Relation (ICCR), 1987-92
• Chancellor, Central University, Bihar

Special Interests:

• Writing poems in Hindi, many of which have been published
• Reading (contemporary history, fiction)
• Indian Classical Music and Dance
• Rifle shooting
• Equestrian
• Preservation of cultural heritage, ancient monuments, Indian craft, textiles

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