She is the first ever Mangalorean to be elevated to the gubernatorial post.
Congratulations, Margaret!
Margaret Alva (born April 14, 1942) is a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and was the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee. As General Secretary of India's oldest political party, Margaret was a close adviser to the Party president Sonia Gandhi. She faced controversy though following her allegations on the functioning of the Congress party pertaining to the Cash for votes scandal - and was removed from her position. Her appointment as Governor is a clear indication of the Party's intention to rehabilitate her.
A former five-term member of the Indian parliament from 1974 to 2004, she had also been appointed as advisor to the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training, a body set up to improve the standards of legislative functions in the National Parliament and State Assemblies. She has spearheaded four major legislative amendments passed by the Indian parliament involving women's rights, marriage laws, equal remuneration and the reservation of quotas for women in local politics. Ms. Alva helped draft the blueprint for policies ensuring the empowerment of women, which has been adopted by India's central and state governments. In 2003, she was honored by President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa for playing an important role in garnering support for the people of South Africa during their struggle for freedom and against apartheid. Ms. Alva is a former Minister of Human Resource Development under the government of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, which was responsible for harnessing and promoting the potential of India's massive population. A lawyer by profession, she was conferred an honorary doctorate in literature by the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India.She is the founder President of NGO 'Karuna'.
Personal life: Born to Pascal A. Nazareth and Elizabeth Nazareth in Mangalore, Margaret moved to Bangalore to pursue her studies - graduating with a BA, B.L., Hon. Doctorate at Bangalore's Mt. Carmel College and Government Law College. She chose to start her professional career as an advocate. She married Niranjan Alva on the 24 May 1964, with whom she has one daughter and three sons.
Key Positions Held:
1972-73 - Convener, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Women's Front
1974-80 - Member, Rajya Sabha; Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of External Affairs
1975-76 - Convener, Congress Parliamentary Party; Member, Committee on Information and Broadcasting
1975-76 - Member, Executive, Congress Parliamentary Party
1975-77 - Joint Secretary, All India Congress Committee
1978-80 - General Secretary, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), Karnataka
1980-86 - Member, Rajya Sabha (2nd term); Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of External Affairs
1983-85 - Member, Panel of Vice-Chairmen, Rajya Sabha
1983-88 - National Convener, Mahila Congress
1984-85 - Minister of State, Parliamentary Affairs; Member, Committee on Public Undertakings
1985-89 - Minister of State, Youth Affairs, Sports, Women and Child Development in the Ministry of Human Resource Development
1986-92 - Member, Rajya Sabha (3rd term)
1990-91 - Chairman, Committee on Papers Laid on the Table, Rajya Sabha
1991 - Minister of State, Personnel, Public Grievances and
1992-98 - Member, Rajya Sabha (4th term)
1993-95 - Deputy Chief Whip, Congress Party, Rajya Sabha
1993-96 - Minister of State, Personnel, Public Grievances/Pensions with additional charge of Parliamentary Affairs
1996-97 - Member, Committee on External Affairs
1996-98 - Member, Committee on Public Accounts; Member, Committee on Ministry of Information/Broadcasting
1999 - Elected to 13th Lok Sabha; Panel of Chairmen
1999-00 - Member, Committee on Transport and Tourism; Member, House Committee; Member, General Purposes Committee
2000-01 - Chairman, Committee on the Empowerment of Women
2000- - Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Tourism
Positions held:
1972-73 Convener, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Women's Front
1974-80 Member, Rajya Sabha Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of External Affairs
1975-76 Convenor, Congress Parliamentary Party Member, Committee on Information and Broadcasting Member, Executive, Congress Parliamentary Party
1975-77 Joint Secretary, All India Congress Committee
1978-80 General Secretary, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), Karnataka
1980-86 Member, Rajya Sabha (2nd term) Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of External Affairs
1983-85 Member, Panel of Vice-Chairmen, Rajya Sabha
1983-88 National Convener, Mahila Congress
1984-85 Union Minister of State, Parliamentary Affairs Member, Committee on Public Undertakings
1985-89 Union Minister of State, Youth Affairs, Sports, Women and Child Development in the Ministry of Human Resource Development
1986-92 Member, Rajya Sabha (3rd term) 1990-91 Chairman, Committee on Papers Laid on the Table, Rajya Sabha Member, Executive, Congress Parliamentary Party
1991 Union Minister of State, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 1992-98 Member, Rajya Sabha (4th term)
1993-95 Deputy Chief Whip, Congress Party, Rajya Sabha 1993-96 Union Minister of State, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions with additional charge of Parliamentary Affairs 1996-97 Member, Committee on External Affairs
1996-98 Member, Committee on Public Accounts Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
1999 Elected to 13th Lok Sabha Member, Panel of Chairmen
1999-2000 Member, Committee on Transport and Tourism Member, House Committee Member, General Purposes Committee
2000-2001 Chairman, Committee on the Empowerment of Women
2000-2004 Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Tourism
Literary Artistic & Scientific Accomplishments
Course in oil painting, interior decoration and Ikebana
Awards, Honors and Achievements
Best All Round Student, Mt. Carmel College, 1961;
Conferred, The Hon. Degree of Doctorate of Literature by the University of Mysore, 1989
Mahila Siromani Award, 1991
Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award, 1991; and
Dr. T.M.A. Pai Foundation Outstanding Konkani Award, 1991;
President of Delhi Y.W.C.A., 1975-78; Delhi Foundation of Deaf Women, 1975-82; and World Women Parliamentarians for Peace, 1986-88 and
Chairperson of: (i) Foreign Students' Welfare Committee of Indian Council of Cultural Relations, 1982-84; (ii) SAARC Technical Committee on Women, 1985-86; and (iii) UN Expert Group meeting on Women in Decision making, Vienna, 1987 General Secretary - All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF), 1961; Joint Secretary, Government Law College Students Union, 1963-64.
Membership
i) Indian Committee for International Women's Year, 1975
ii) Indian Delegation to U.N. Conference for International Women's Year at Mexico, 1975;
(iii) Indian Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, 1976 and 1998
iv) Central Youth Advisory Board, 1976-77
v) National Children's Board, 1977-78
vi) National Adult Education Board, 1978-79;
(vii) National Committee on Child Labour, 1979
vii) Governing Council of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, 1982-84
viii) Bar Council of India Panel of Eminent Persons for Asia and the Pacific for HRD (ESCAP)
ix) Governing Council of SID, Rome; and
x) Commonwealth Observer Group for Elections in Camaroon;
xi) daughter-in-law of late Joachim Alva and Violet Alva, freedom fighters and the first couple in the Indian Parliament;
xii) elected to IPU Co-ordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians, 2000.;
xiii) Spokesperson, Congress Parliamentary Party
Unique Achievements
Doctorate of Literature by the University of Mysore, 1989
UN Expert Group meeting on Women in Decision-making, Vienna, 1987
National Committee on Child Labor, 1979
Commonwealth Observer Group for Elections in Cameroon
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