Ms Vini Mahajan* 
Our country is standing at the cusp of transformative change and we have a huge opportunity to transform rural India. We are certainly heading in the right direction, with all the right moves, given that today the IMIS of the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G), the flagship programme of the Government of India, recorded another milestone – of 101462villages declaring themselves as ODF (open defecation free) Plus.

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/mahmudakash177/image/upload/v1662039159/xsobtuynu39367k7uncl.jpg" alt="swach bharat" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
These villages are sustaining their ODF status and have systems in place for managing solid and/or liquid waste and they would continue on their sanitation journey as they work towards making their villages cleaner, greener and healthier.
Almost eight years ago, Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission from the ramparts of the Red Fort, with a vision to make the country open defecation free as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary. Under his visionary leadership, the country came together in the world’s largest behaviour change campaign and achieved its aim,and on 2nd October 2019, 11 years ahead of the SDG-6 target set by the United Nations, rural India became open defecation free. However, this was not the end of the mission, it laid the foundation to take on a much more challenging, yet necessary task; the need to ensure sampoornswachhata or complete cleanliness, to make the country’s villages ODF Plus.&nbsp;&nbsp;
One lakh ODF Plus villages is no small achievement, given that the process of solid and liquid waste management is technical in nature, is relatively new to rural India and is a second-generation issue. Provision of toilets has led to the need to manage faecal waste. Also, with potable water supply, more greywater is being generated that needs to be treated and reused; and with lifestyle changes and the use of packaged food products, the menace of plastic waste is rearing its ugly head in rural areas and that needs to be managed effectively.
And this is what the second Phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G) is about – to appropriately manage all types of waste that will not only make our villages clean, but also creating avenues for generating incomes for rural households and creating new livelihood opportunities, while fulfilling the requirements of the Sustainable Development Goals. The SBM-G reinforces the Government’s commitment to promote hygiene and safe sanitation and thereby improve the quality of life of its citizens.
At the outset, DDWS had introduced intermediate stages in the process of declaring a village as ODF Plus, given that all villages may not fulfil all criteria under the verticals of biodegradable waste management (BWM), plastic waste management (PWM), greywater management (GWM) and faecal sludge management (FSM) before declaring a village as ODF Plus. In the ODF Plus - Aspiringcategorytoday are 54734villages in which all households and institutions besides having access to sanitation through individual household latrines, have arrangements for either SWM or LWM; those in ODF Plus – Rising are 17121 villages which have arrangements for both LWM and SWM in addition to the criteria in Aspiring. Those that are declared ODF Plus - Model are 29607 villages which have all the above and where IEC messages are prominently disseminated and displayed.&nbsp;
This also translates into 99640 villages across the country having arrangements for solid waste management; 78937having liquid waste management facilities; and 57312villages having both functional solid and liquid waste management plants. The top five performing states are Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradeshwhere maximum number of villages have been declared as ODF Plus.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
All possible assistance is being given to States in the form of funding, technical and capacity building support.
Availability of adequate funding: The Government of India, in February 2020, approved Phase-II of the SBM (G) with a total outlay of Rs. 1,40,881 crores to focus on the sustainability of Open Defecation Free (ODF) status and Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM). SBM (G) Phase-II is planned to be a unique model of convergence between different verticals of financing and various schemes of Central and State Governments. Funds are also available through the 15th Finance Commission and through convergence with MGNREGA.
&nbsp;
Technical Support: Extensive focus is being given to strengthening the capacities of a range of key stakeholders at State, district, block and panchayat levels to ensure effective and expedited implementation. DDWS has made available reference materials pertaining to the programme’s approach and processes, with technical specifications, technology options, cost estimates, technical drawings etc., for various elements of ODF Plus in the form of technical manuals and toolkits which States have been translating into their vernacular languages. The manuals would go a long way towards building capacities of functionaries and rural local bodies.
Capacity building: Management of solid and liquid waste and related infrastructure is technical in nature and for building capacities of the GP level stakeholders, a large pool of trainers is required. As a part of this initiative, 5-day Training of Trainers (ToTs) on the implementation of SBM (G) II in the states is being carried out by the DDWS with the support of development partner UNICEF. Under this, Master Trainers (MTs) from each district,are being trained and they in turn are trainingSarpanchs/Pradhans, village secretaries and Swachhagrahisin the various ODF Plus verticals.
SBM-G continues to be a people’s movement: All along, SBM (G) Phase-II had been uniquely designed to leverage the capacity of individuals and communities in rural India to create a people’s movement to ensure that the ODF status of rural areas is sustained, people continue to practice safe hygienic behaviour and that all villages have solid and liquid waste management arrangements.&nbsp;
In this regard, the contributions of both men and women in the village communities have been immense. Either as Swachhagrahis, Mistries, drivers or Green Ambassadors, they continue to work for ODF Plus. We have our share of unsung heroes too:
Saying NO to stubble burning, Ajmer Singh, afarmer of Sehbajpur villagein Raikot block of Ludhiana district in Punjab has successfully installed a biogas plant which utilizes crop residue and cow dung as feed to generate biogas, within his household premises. The family of 3 now avails of 3-4 cum per day of clean cooking fuel and organic compost for their fields, free of cost.
&nbsp;Meanwhile, when Smt. Richhawati, an active community leader and SHG member heard that the community biogas plant sanctioned for their Gram Panchayat (GP) in 2021-22 was being shelved owing to non-availability of community land and inadequate finance, she donated 2500 square feet of land that she owned for the project that would cater to the clean fuel needs of the community.The woman’s magnanimous gesture has set the wheels in motion for the construction of the Gobardhan plant that is now located in Salmatta GP in Sitarganj Block of Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand.&nbsp;
I also salute the Swachhagrahis – the frontline workers who go by different names in each State, who are versatile enough to take on responsibilities to promote awareness and get people to participate in waste management.
Lots more to be done in the next three years…but I’m confident that the great people of this country will join hands to make a Swachh and Swasth Bharat a reality.
—The Hawk
* Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India

Our country is standing at the cusp of transformative change and we have a huge opportunity to transform rural India. 

India Clocks In Over One Lakh ODF Plus Villages

Feature Post

Panaji: International Film Festival of India (IFFI) came to Goa in 2004 and glittered the capital city with lights and infrastructure, however, local actors and filmmakers are still looking for the hope that film culture would get a boost and people would come to theatres to watch Konkani films produced locally. Stakeholders from the local film industry say that IFFI has not helped them to propel. According to them, if people come to watch Konkani films in large numbers, then they would not even require assistance from the government to produce films. Presently, the film production has come down and a maximum of two to three films are being produced, though there are more than 10 filmmakers. Actor Rajdeep Naik told IANS that the film culture in Goa came to a standstill since IFFI has come as the government is only promoting IFFI and films shown during the event. "The government has not released our assistance (for film production) since 2016. The budget is allotted but money is not disbursed. At least late Manohar Parrikar (former Chief Minister) would have done something if he would have been with us today. Now they are doing nothing. We are suffering as we produce films and do not get the money from the assistance scheme," Naik said. "If money under the scheme is given regularly through the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), it can be invested and recovered. Even if people go and watch Konkani films in theaters, then there would be no need for a government scheme. For that film culture should be developed first," he said. Filmmaker Jitendra Shikerkar said that people have not taken Konkani cinema seriously. "We have to spend more on creating the Digital Cinema Package before releasing it in theaters. This is not affordable to us. It becomes very difficult for us," he said, adding that this forces them to release films in drama halls. "People are not getting the feel of theaters in drama halls. But we can't afford to release films in theaters," he asserted. "The ESG scheme has started again. Money was disbursed to films produced before 2015... even this year the government has sanctioned Rs 2.5 crore under the scheme. However, there is less support from people. If people come and watch films then we would not require government support," he asserted. "IFFI has not benefited us, those who come for IFFI do they watch Konkani films? They don't watch our films. Only our audience can support us. They should support Konkani cinema," Shikerkar said. "Many have commented on social media that they should support Konkani cinemas, but in reality, they don't come. We have a populace of 15 to 16 lakhs, even if two lakh people come to theaters. Then we can produce good films," he added. He said that a maximum of two cinema productions take place in Goa as investment has become a risk. "We have technical teams, but we are dependent on creating sets and lights from outside (Mumbai)." Filmmaker Rajesh Pednekar said that government assistance is not coming in time. "I had done my film in 2016, today we are in 2022, but still I have not got my money from the scheme. They don't give priority to our applications," he said. He said that the disbursement of the scheme should take place at pace. "Actually reimbursement should be done. There is no process here. Even if the provision of two crores is done for this scheme, then it is enough for the films produced in Goa." He said that Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should have a meeting with filmmakers and listen. "We have got inspiration from IFFI," he added. He further said that at least 50,000 people should watch the film to get back the money invested in production. Similarly, filmmaker Suchita Narvekar said that the politicians are just giving speeches and in reality don't work to implement schemes. "Goan film industry has not benefited from IFFI. We can only watch films in IFFI," she noted. "Even one lakh people don't come to theaters to watch Konkani films, had such crowd received we would have got encouragement and would have become financially strong," she said. Narvekar said that the government failed to disperse the amount under the ESG scheme for film production. "The process is lengthy. If someone borrows a loan for film production then he will definitely suffer, which is happening," she said. Filmmaker Joywin Fernandes said that IFFI has not benefited Konkani films and culture. "We have not benefited out of IFFI. We are not getting proper support from the government. The scheme which was started is also not functioning well. In the future nobody will dare to produce Konkani films if the situation remains as it is," he said. He said due to rising costs to show films in theaters, he is forced to release films on YouTube.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently said that the state is trying to develop the film culture and film industry in Goa. "We are supporting Konkani and Marathi films. If we get support from all of you, then we will develop film culture well. Goa has given many actors to the Film Industry," Sawant said. 
He added that the ESG is working to grow the film culture in Goa.&nbsp;
—IANS

International Film Festival of India (IFFI) came to Goa in 2004 and glittered the capital city with lights and infrastructure, however, local actors and filmmakers are still looking for the hope that film culture would get a boost and people would come to theatres to watch Konkani films produced locally.

 Annual film jamboree IFFI has not benefited Goa's Konkani film culture

Television

Dr Krishna Ella* For me, the most inspiring story of our nation is the way our government pushed the start-up culture strongly, every policy and governance initiative have a huge in-built innovation factor. &nbsp;I deeply missed this culture when I returned to India way back in 1996, with a dream to build a self-reliant vaccine business with several roadblocks, we were a startup then.&nbsp;The most notable difference I have observed in recent times is the NITI Aayog's comprehensive national strategy for new India, which took a unique approach to inclusivity. There was a paradigm shift in the policy climate, with private investors and other stakeholders being encouraged and helped to achieve its goals, and to propel India to a USD 5 trillion GDP by 2030.&nbsp;Besides developing scientific and technological capabilities, our nation had the foresight to redefine the roles of CSIR laboratories, Indian Institute of Technologies (IITs), the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), a host of universities, and scientific institutions, which laid the foundation for the nation to accomplish many first in the advancement of science and technology.&nbsp;The Unicorn India &nbsp;India has produced more unicorns in the last 8 years than any other country, and stands second in the world after the United States for the largest number of start-ups being created.&nbsp;When the Prime Minister of the Nation announced that 44 of our 100 unicorns were formed in 2021, and 14 more unicorns were formed in quick succession in the same year this year, it was a source of pride for every Indian, and for me as a first-generation start-up entrepreneur, this demonstrated our nation's strength to remain strong and sustainable even during the global pandemic, as start-ups created wealth and value for the country.&nbsp;This amazing boom in the entrepreneurial ecosystem shows that India can inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, and the government has done an outstanding effort&nbsp;of encouraging it year after year through strategic implementation of an ecosystem and fundamentals that would support Indian start-ups and businesses to remain globally competitive, while allowing the dreams of an aspiring, confident and young India to take flight.&nbsp;The government's implementation of the Start-Up-India programme, which offers tax benefits and creates a fund of funds, the Invest India programme, and NITI Ayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to help start-ups develop and prosper, has been a major contributor to the rise of start-ups. &nbsp;Atal Innovation Mission, a flagship initiative to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in our country, and giving that extra push to women entrepreneurs, a new ecosystem was exemplary.&nbsp;Pharmacy of the world&nbsp;India continues to play a growing role in global drug security and strengthen its position as the world's pharmacy, thanks to a low-cost qualified work force and a well-established manufacturing base.&nbsp;Our country has also become a leading source of ground-breaking innovation, particularly when it comes to giving affordable life-saving vaccinations and medication to the most underserved populations around the world who need them the most.&nbsp;What began as a startup journey, Bharat Biotech is today a testament of how a startup grew to provide timely solutions to global problems. &nbsp;Bharat Biotech’s own efforts are a demonstration on how innovation aimed at key healthcare challenges not only saved countless lives but also demonstrated India’s indigenous vaccine development capabilities.&nbsp;In the global race to find solutions to contain and provide succour against SARSCoV2, India became the 3rd country in the world after the United States and United Kingdom to take it from clone to vial, and conducted all the clinical trials including for efficacy.&nbsp;The world’s 1st Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine, vaccines against Rotavirus, etc., and major pipeline innovations for vaccines against Zika virus, Chikungunya virus, Non-Typhoidal Salmonella, a key healthcare challenge in Africa, etc., are standing examples of India leading innovation for global problems.&nbsp;Push to Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the promotion of domestic manufacturing of Key Starting Materials (KSMs)/Drug Intermediates (DIs) and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in India was one of the ground-breaking initiatives.&nbsp;As an entrepreneur and scientist, the visit of our Prime Minister to the Bharat Biotech production site was a defining moment for me.&nbsp;It reaffirmed the trust and commitment of the Government of India to the country and the world, while also further strengthening our commitment and invigorating the scientists and employees to meet the extraordinary challenge. &nbsp;It is a proud moment to be able to meet 97 percent of the country's vaccination needs for the COVID-19 vaccine from our homegrown companies. This achievement would not have been attainable without the assistance of our government during the Pandemic – A series of policy changes, quick approvals, and, most crucially, Government officials working around the clock was a game-changer, and it was a welcome development for any entrepreneur like me.&nbsp;Digitization &amp; Inclusivity – A pathbreaker &nbsp;Another important aspect of India's quick growth was the country's strong drive for digitalization and the digital economy, which included the introduction of the most disruptive digital payment mechanism, UPI. UPI is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive fintech breakthroughs the world has seen in recent years.&nbsp;It boosted eCommerce and made it easier for solopreneurs, small businesses, and medium-sized businesses to contribute to and participate in economic growth.&nbsp;Internet penetration in rural areas was another significant feature of New India. The CoWIN app, which was established during the Pandemic and connected over 100 crore citizens and their data, is perhaps the most incredible example for a&nbsp;country in the world with a digitised population of over&nbsp;85 percent. &nbsp;This has aided the nation's pandemic preparedness. The application and database are unlike any other solution deployed at scale anywhere around the world. The unique scientific data and insights should be leveraged for progress of research, and to create templates for managing future healthcare challenges and initiatives.&nbsp;With the data from CoWIN, the government can now&nbsp;easily combat a future pandemic or even track any outbreak of infection in a single location. The application has also made it easier to track, trace, and cure infections using epidemiology data.&nbsp;Public-Private Partnership &nbsp;For the nation to grow, Public-Private Partnership plays a tremendous role. It is a model to follow to succeed in the future in every field, especially in science, defence, medicine, and research.&nbsp;The success of Rotavac, Typhoid, and COVAXIN is a brilliant example of how the PPP model can create an impact.&nbsp;India's achievement with public-private partnerships is also a success story. With its Vaccine Development capabilities, the country has provided the globe with Rotavirus Vaccine, Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine, and the universal, world-class, affordable Covid-19 vaccine, COVAXIN.&nbsp;The government's most notable endeavour has been the development of the Innovation Cell and the appointment of a "Chief Innovation Officer" to boost innovation and the entrepreneurial ecosystem within our educational institutions.&nbsp;Today, academic institutions and Universities have their own Incubation Centres and are free to partner and collaborate with Government and Industry. COVAXIN, the result of a partnership between Bharat Biotech and ICMR-NIV during the pandemic clearly spells out what can be accomplished.&nbsp;India needs to further strengthen academic-industry collaboration, enable Indian universities to incubate more start-ups, and increase the confidence of venture capital firms to participate in high-risk science enterprises. &nbsp;Moreover, SBIRA -BIRAC Grants and Niti Ayog aid to further foster scientific advancement and vaccine development will pave the way for greater participation of entrepreneurship in the sector.&nbsp;This initiative helped create incubators across many Universities in India to tap young India to Innovate, backed by new programs and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors effectively.&nbsp;Unifying India&nbsp;For a nation to succeed, the biggest motivator is a unifying spirit between people and its leaders. &nbsp;The goal of a great nation would be to ensure adequate access to clean energy and safe water, where the best health care is available to all, where the governance is responsive, transparent and entrepreneurship is nurtured, and where poverty and illiteracy have been eradicated – a healthful nation that is one of the best places to live in. &nbsp;Thanks to various initiatives of the Government, start-ups, enterprises, risk capital funds, and enabling environment for freedom and ease of doing business, India has succeeded in witnessing increased disruption in the healthcare sector, where start-ups registered breakthrough innovations in products and services. &nbsp;These are all set to help the country further enhance the quality and reach of healthcare products and services to a larger section of the population not just within India but extend those benefits to nations across the globe to contribute to the wellbeing of the global population. &nbsp;I am sure India will witness an increased number of scalable enterprises from the now thriving start-ups in the years to come, enabling enterprises to further disrupt the medical and healthcare, science and technology fields to make healthcare much more affordable and reachable to masses across the globe.&nbsp;India has made great moves in its public health programs, which have been lauded by developed nations, and leaders across the globe. We have set the foundation for our nation to be even greater. &nbsp;This India is inspiring!! —The Hawk *Chairman &amp; Managing Director, Bharat Biotech

For me, the most inspiring story of our nation is the way our government pushed the start-up culture strongly, every policy and governance initiative have a huge in-built innovation factor. 

From a Start-up Nation to a Nation of Innovation 

Dr Alon Ben-Meir* Last Thursday’s hearing by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol was nothing but shocking. If we were watching a movie based on a fictitious story portraying an American president who had done what Trump attempted to do it would have still been simply so far-fetched beyond what anyone could possibly fathom Righting the Wrong New York (The Hawk): The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol held another hearing yesterday which was, no less than all the previous hearings, of historic significance. These are among the most important hearings in our nation’s history, for they detail the unprecedented depravity and dishonor of an American president, and they are crucial to exposing the existential danger that his political presence still represents.Thursday’s hearing focused on what must be the darkest and most morally outrageous three hours in the annals of the American presidency: the 187 minutes in which Trump refused to take any action whatsoever to quell a violent insurrectionary mob as it stormed the Capitol building, thwarting the peaceful transfer of power and seeking to kill the Vice President of the United States, who took shelter just feet away from his would-be assassins. The Committee revealed that Pence’s security detail believed that the mob was likely to discover their location and that they were not going to survive its violent onslaught – so much so that some were making calls to say goodbye to family members in the event they did not make it home alive.For three hours Trump watched the television as violence consumed the Capitol; and in all that time he did not make a single call to the Secretary of Defense, to the Attorney General, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, or to the Vice President for that matter. For three hours, against the unequivocal advice of his counsel, friends, and family, Trump purposefully and steadfastly declined to give the mob he had summoned any signal to disperse, to exit the building peacefully, or to simply cease threatening the life of his vice president or other members of Congress. The president knew full well, and better than anyone, that his mob of supporters were hanging on every word he said or tweeted; he knew beyond any doubt that had he told them to leave the Capitol they would have complied – but he would not do so for the simple reason that he wanted the attack to continue.Trump would not take any action to halt the insurrection because the attack served his unscrupulous designs: for while the mob held the Capitol, the Senate could not reconvene to certify the election result, and had the vice president been maimed or murdered then he would no longer be in a position to preside over the proceedings as specified in the Constitution. Indeed, after Trump knew the Capitol had been breached, he sent out a tweet at 2:24pm which served only to pour gasoline over the conflagration he had already ignited, describing Mike Pence as lacking the courage to do Trump’s bidding; immediately following that disgraceful message to his fanatical followers the mob swelled in size, and grew more enraged and emboldened.Trump’s inaction during those three pivotal hours was not merely a dereliction of duty: it was a deliberate, indefensible decision on his part to allow the mob to continue its desecration of the Capitol, its assault on our democracy, and its unbridled effort to impede the transfer of executive authority, all so that Trump could maintain power. Only after it became clear that the insurrectionists would not be successful did the president finally stand before the TV cameras and tell the mob to leave the Capitol and return home. He did not condemn the violence, he did not issue any reprimand to those who had defiled the Capitol, he did not express a single word of support for those who valiantly fought against the insurrection and sought to protect this Republic from being overthrown by a violent swarm of his deluded supporters. Instead, he praised the mob as patriots and told them how much he loves them.The former President of the United States, Donald Trump, betrayed this country and the American people – both Republicans and Democrats – in a manner so despicable and outrageous that the misdeeds of all his forty-four predecessors pale by comparison. He is the very embodiment of demagoguery: his lies are poisonous and his hollow vanity boundless. He has brought this Republic to the brink of dissolution with his contempt for the rule of law and the institutions of democracy. He forfeited the public trust when he determined that his hold on power was more important than the oath he took before the country and before God to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, more important than honoring the sacrifice of countless Americans who gave their life so that the Republic could survive, more important than the very continuation of this noble experiment in popular government.If he should ever hold office again, then the shame will be on our heads – for no one can say now that they did not know what this man was, or what he was capable of doing. Trump’s lust for power is insatiable and as we have witnessed, he resorted to any means, however illegal, to stay in power regardless of the unimaginable damage he inflicts on the country.Trump is corrupt to the core, a traitor who deserves nothing but contempt and to spend the rest of his life behind bars because he remains a menace to this country and an existential threat to our democratic institutions.____________*Dr Alon Ben-Meir is a retired professor of international relations at the Center for Global Affairs at NYU. He taught courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies for over 20 years.

Last Thursday’s hearing by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol was nothing but shocking. If we were watching a movie based on a fictitious story portraying an American president who had done what Trump attempted to do it would have still been simply so far-fetched beyond what anyone could possibly fathom

The Most Damning Hearing Yet

Droupadi Murmu, a tribal leader from Odisha has now become the first tribal President and second female President of India. As a tribal woman from remote Mayurbhanj district, she had never thought about becoming the President of India. Murmu comes from a discreet tribal community of Santhals. Santhals, also known as Manjhis, are an ethnic group largely concentrated in the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar and West Bengal. According to Britannica, there are over 5 million Santhals in India alone. She is the first tribal woman from the East to hold such a top position. Modi’s government choosing a leader from an Odisha Adivasi community seems to be its best bet currently. BJP’s choice of DraupadiMurmu for president is an important signalling for India’s historically prideful and underserved tribal communities.Murmu has a clean track record and as an Adivasi can challenge, at least in perception, the upper caste dominance in Odisha’s politics and consolidate a large section of the Adivasi population in western Odisha.During the BJP- BJD coalition government that came to power in 2000, she held the Commerce and Transport, and, subsequently, the Fisheries and Animal Husbandry portfolios.She managed to win in 2009 even as the BJP paled against the challenge put up by the by-then estranged BJD. Murmu entered State politics in 1997 and was conferred with the Nilkantha Award in 2007. BJP President JP Nadda, has rightly said that “Millions of people, especially those who have experienced poverty and faced hardships, derive great strength from the life of Droupadi Murmu Her understanding of policy matters and compassionate nature will greatly benefit our country”. When she assumed office as the governor of Jharkhand on May 18, 2015, not only was she the first woman to have done so but also the first tribal leader and woman from Odisha to be a governor in any Indian state. When she was born in 1958, in the district of Mayurbhanj in Odisha, there was nothing to foretell that she was headed to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Living in one of the state&amp;#39;s most underdeveloped regions, her family struggled with poverty.&nbsp;Despite her family&amp;#39;s difficult situation, she went on to graduate from the Ramadevi Women’s College in Bhubaneswar. Her father, who comes from a tribal family, made her stand on her feet by educating her. She struggled to reach the first job of a clerk in the irrigation department from a village in Orissa. She took her baby steps struggling with poverty in one of the most remote and underdeveloped districts of the country. Draupadi Murmu is a devotee of Shiva. She is the only woman to have travelled from the Santhal tribal section to the post of President. She is recognized as a woman living with simplicity and taking strong decisions. But her life can inspire many of us who start thinking small difficulties as the end of life. The 64-year- old Murmu was twice elected as a BJP legislator from Odisha and was a minister in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet when the saffron party supported the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Born in Odisha&amp;#39;s Mayurbhanj district, Murmu belongs to a Santhal family - a tribal ethnic group. She began her career as an assistant teacher at the Shri Aurobindo integral Education Centre in Rairangpur. Thereafter, she had working with the Odisha government as part of the irrigation and power department.In 2015 she was sworn in as the first woman Governor of Jharkhand. She was also the first woman and tribal leader from Odisha to be appointed as Governor of an Indian state.S he has come a long way in making her way till here, on her own, breaking all social stigma. When she had gone to study in Bhubaneshwar before the nineties, there were no roads, no Google Maps to help people. She has always maintained a very stoic appearance in her public and personal life. She figured everything out on her own. She has devoted her life to serving society and empowering the poor, downtrodden as well as the marginalised. Her life has been marked with personal tragedies as she lost her husband and two sons. Over the next decade or so she held several leading roles within the BJP, serving as the state president of the ST Morcha and as the BJP district president of Mayurbhan. She has diverse administrative experience having handled ministries such as transport, commerce, fisheries and animal husbandry in the Odisha government. She is a source of inspiration for us. As Murmu’s contributions to our nation are immense and she possesses a lot of expertise in different areas which will be certainly of great benefit to our country.—The Hawk Features

Droupadi Murmu, a tribal leader from Odisha has now become the first tribal President and second female President of India. As a tribal woman from remote Mayurbhanj district, she had never thought about becoming the President of India. Murmu comes from a discreet tribal community of  Santhals. 