Pratibha Patil Pratibha Devisingh Patil (born 19 December 1934) is an Indian politician who served as the 12th President

of India from 200 to 2012! she was the first woman to hold the office" #he was sworn in as President on 2$ %&l' 200 ( s&cceeding )bd&l *alam( after defeating her rival +hairon #ingh #he,hawat" #he retired from the office in %&l' 2012" #he was s&cceeded as President b' Pranab -&,her.ee" Career #he started her career as a practicing law'er at %algaon District /o&rt" )t the age of 2 'ears( she was elected to the -aharashtra #tate 0egislat&re from %algaon )ssembl' /onstit&enc'" 1or fo&r consec&tive 'ears( she was elected as the -0) from the 2dlabad (-&,tai 3agar) /onstit&enc'" #he has held vario&s positions in the 4overnment as well as in the 0egislative )ssembl' of -aharashtra" 1rom 195 to 19 2( she served as the Dep&t' -inister of ed&cation and has held several other ministerial portfolios6 from P&blic 7ealth to 8o&rism to Parliamentar' )ffairs and more" #mt" Pratibha Patil wor,ed as the 0eader of 9pposition in the 0egislative )ssembl' of -aharashtra" )part from that( she has served as the /hairperson of /ommittee of Privileges and the -ember of +&siness )dvisor' /ommittee( :a.'a #abha" #mt" Pratibha Patil became the 4overnor of :a.asthan on ; 3ovember 2004 and remained in the position &ntil %&ne 200 " 9n 2$ %&l' 200 ( she was sworn in as the 12th President of India" #he won the Presidential 2lections after defeating her competitor +hairon #ingh #he,hawat b' more than 300(000 votes" +esides her achievements in politics( she has been connected with vario&s organi<ations and was the /hairperson of -aharashtra #tate =ater Poll&tion /ontrol +oard from 19;2 to 19;$" 1rom 19;; to 1990( she served as the President of -aharashtra Pradesh /ongress /ommittee (P//)" )part from being on the position of Director and >ice6/hairperson of 3ational 1ederation of ?rban /ooperative +an,s and /redit #ocieties( #mt" Pratibha Patil also wor,ed as the -ember of 4overning /o&ncil of 3ational /ooperative ?nion of India and the /hairperson of 206Point Program Implementation /ommittee( 4overnment of -aharashtra" +esides this( she has also attended the International /o&ncil on #ocial =elfare /onferences at 3airobi and at P&erto :ico" In 19;$( #mt" Patil was appointed as a -ember of the )I// (I) Delegation to +&lgaria and in 19;;( she became the -ember of /ommonwealth Presiding 9fficers /onference in 0ondon" #he also led the Indian delegation to the /onference on the @#tat&s of =omen@( which was organi<ed in )&stria( and in #eptember 199$( she was chosen as the representative at the =orld =omen@s /onference( +ei.ing( /hina"