Ram Nath Kovind is a former Lawyer, turned prominent Indian Politician, who was the 14th President of India. Prior to his presidency, Kovind served as the Governor of the state of Bihar from 2015 to 2017. Kovind was a practicing Lawyer for about 16 years, providing free legal aid to the weaker sections of the society in Delhi before he ventured into Politics. Let’s find out some more interesting facts and biographies about the 14th President of India.
Biography/Wiki
Ram Nath Kovind was born on 1 October 1945 (age 77 years; in 2022) in Paraukh, Kanpur Dehat district, Uttar Pradesh, India to Maikulal Kori and Kalawati. He graduated with a degree in Commerce and pursued an LLB from Kanpur University. After completing his Law, Kovind moved to Delhi and started preparing for the Civil services exam. He cleared the exam in his third attempt but denied joining the service as he was selected for the allied service and not the IAS. He subsequently registered himself as an Advocate at the Delhi Bar Council and started practicing. During his phase as a Lawyer, Kovind provided free legal aid to the weaker sections of society, women and the poor in Delhi. Later he was appointed as a permanent counsel of the Central Government in the Supreme Court of India and he served as a lawyer until 1993. Kovind entered politics when he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1991.
Ram Nath Kovind in his early days
Family, Wife & Caste
Ram Nath Kovind was born into a Scheduled Caste (Koli community), Hindu family. His father, Maikulal Kori is a Local Vaidya and runs a grocery store. His mother was Kalawati, who died at a very young age of Kovind. Ram Nath has 4 brothers and 3 sisters and he is the youngest of 5 brothers.
Ram Nath Kovind’s brother ‘Pyarelal’ with his extended family members
Ram Nath Kovind married Savita Kovind (a retired government servant) on 30 May 1974. The couple has a son, Prashanth Kumar, an employee at Private Airlines and a daughter, Swati Kovind, who works with the integration department of Air India.
Ram Nath Kovind with his daughter (extreme left), wife (left), son (right), daughter-in-law (extreme right) and grandson with PM Narendra Modi
Career
After graduating in Law, he practiced as an Advocate for about 16 years, during which he provided free legal services to the poor and needy people of Delhi. He worked as a Personal Assistant to Prime Minister Morarji Desai in 1977 and 1978.
Kovind joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1991, held the post of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson and contested Lok Sabha elections from Ghatampur and Bhognipur constituencies in Kanpur Nagar district, but lost both times. Later, in 1994 he was elected as a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) representing Uttar Pradesh for two consecutive terms in 1994 and 2000 and was on the panel until March 2006. As a member of the BJP, he served as the President of the Dalit Morcha Kasta Scheduled BJP and All India Koli Samaj President between 1998 and 2002.
Constitutional Position
Governor
He was sworn in as the Governor of Bihar on 8 August 2015, by the then President of India, Pranab Mukherjee and held the position until he was nominated by the ruling NDA for the post of President in June 2017.
President of India
Kovind was inaugurated for India’s highest constitutional office, President of India, defeating UPA candidate Meera Kuma with 66% of the vote and was elected as the 14th President of India in July 2017. In July 2022, Droupadi Murmu succeeded him as President of India when he was sworn in as 15th President of India on 25 July 2022.
With his distinguished background in the legal arena, Shri Kovind’s knowledge and understanding of the Constitution will benefit the nation.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 19, 2017
Salary/Pension
He receives a pension of Rs. 2.5 lakh per month as former President of India. He is also entitled to office expenses up to Rs 1 lakh per annum.
Facts
- During his visit to Delhi for Civil Services exam preparation, Kovind met ‘Jana Sangh’ leader Hukum Chand (from Ujjain), after which he developed an interest in politics.
- Ram Nath Kovind is famous for donating his ancestral home in Derapur to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS.)
- Through the MPLAD scheme, Kovind emphasized the development of basic infrastructure for education in rural areas of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
- He is a Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes/Tribes, Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs, Parliamentary Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas, Parliamentary Committee on Justice and Social Empowerment, Parliamentary Committee on Law and Justice, and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha House. Committee.
- In October 2002, he represented India while addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
- On 1 September 2023, he was appointed as the head of the ‘One Nation One Election’ committee; the committee was established to coordinate the schedule of Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly elections in all states to reduce the frequency of elections across the country.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
