Female tribal leader Droupadi Murmu was elected as India’s next president on Thursday afternoon.
Mr Murmu, 64, a Santhal — a marginal tribal community — was nominated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party as its presidential candidate last month.
The 64-year-old was declared as a candidate for the election after India's Bharatiya Janata Party approved her running during a meeting with the National Democratic Alliance.
She will replace President Ramnath Kovind — whose tenure ends this week — and become the second woman to hold the post after Pratibha Patil, who served from 2007 to 2012.
More than 4,800 legislators and parliamentarians cast their votes on Monday to choose between Ms Murmu and Yashwant Sinha for the nation's top constitutional job.
Who is Droupadi Murmu and what is her background?
Ms Murmu is from the Santhal tribe in eastern Odisha state.
She was born to a village headman in Baidaposi in 1958. Before entering politics, she worked as a schoolteacher and later as a junior assistant in the irrigation department until 1983.
She was married to Shyam Charan Murmu and had two sons and a daughter. Both her sons and her husband are dead.
An arts graduate, Ms Murmu has spent nearly two decades in politics and social services.
Ms Murmu has won strong support from the BJP’s allies and if elected, she would be the first tribal member to hold the presidency and become the first president born after India’s independence in 1947.
How did she become involved in politics?
Ms Murmu was elected as a village councillor in 1997 and later served as the vice president for the BJP’s tribal wing.
She entered formal politics after becoming a junior minister, holding the portfolio of commerce and transport, in the BJP and Odisha state’s Biju Janata Dal coalition government in 2000.
She was chosen by the Odisha Assembly as the best legislator of the year in 2007.
She was appointed the first tribal governor of Jharkhand, a tribe-dominated state, in 2015.
Known for her accessibility and a down-to-earth attitude, she was described as a “compassionate and balanced” administrator in Jharkhand.
She was considered for president in 2017 but Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit parliamentarian and governor of Bihar, made the cut as nominee.
What is the role of India's president?
As ceremonial head of state, the Indian president has few real powers and acts chiefly on the advice of the government.
But most political parties regard a candidate's election campaign as an opportunity to display their nationwide political strength, as well as symbolism.
Parties often nominate candidates from marginalised groups such as the Dalits — formerly known as untouchables — and from the lowest rung in the Hindu caste hierarchy, women and religious minorities.
Hundreds of national and state legislators will vote to elect the president for a term of five years, with the BJP commanding about 48 per cent of the share of the ballot.
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The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
SPECS
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FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
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