India's first tribal president

India’s new president - 5th September 2022

India has chosen its new president. President Droupadi Murmu is the country’s first head of state from a traditional community. She took office on 25th July. 

Murmu was born in a poor, traditional area in the countryside in eastern India. She was the first girl in her village to get a university degree. After university, she worked for the state of Odisha. Then, for three years, she taught several subjects in secondary school. In 1997, Murmu won her first election and became a local councillor. 

She’s the second woman to be President of India. And Murmu’s identity as a woman from a tribal community's important. Traditional communities around India now feel that they'll be listened to. 

Parliament chooses India’s president every five years. Murmu says that every poor person in India helped to make her its president. These poor, traditional groups make up 8 percent of India’s population, but their opinions aren’t usually important. Murmu’s election gives them hope for a better life in the future.

The new president gave a speech when she took office. She spoke about the need to look after the environment. Her own, traditional community has always worked in balance with nature. Murmu wants everybody in India to protect it.