Ram Nath Kovind is the 14th President of India and an Indian politician. On July 25, 2017, he took over as president of Pranab Mukherjee, the 13th president. Kovind had been the Governor of Bihar (an Indian state) since August 16, 2015, before being elected to the highest office in the country. He was the National Democratic Alliance’s presidential candidate (NDA). He is a lawyer by profession and has been involved in politics for decades. After graduating from Kanpur University with a law degree, he worked as a lawyer in the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court for several years until joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1991. He is a ‘Dalit’ from the ‘Scheduled Caste,’ belonging to a historically oppressed community in India, and hence is well aware of the challenges that individuals from such communities endure. He was the President of the BJP Dalit Morcha for four years and has also provided free legal advice to the poorer parts of society. In April 1994, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha representing the state of Uttar Pradesh, where he served for 12 years. Throughout his political career, he has focused on rural education and has also served on the Board of Management of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University.
Childhood and Adolescence
Ram Nath Kovind was born on October 1, 1945, to Maiku Lal and Kalawati Devi in Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh, India. His father was a farmer, and they were a poor family. Their ancestors belonged to the Dalit community, which has long been oppressed in India.
Little is known about his childhood or education. He received a Bachelor’s degree in business after finishing high school and then went on to Kanpur University to earn his LLB.
He wanted to be an IAS official, so he moved to Delhi to study for the civil services exam. On his third attempt, he passed the coveted exam, but was not selected for the IAS and was instead assigned to an associated agency. He chose not to enroll and began practicing law as a result.
Ram Nath Kovind’s legal career has been a resounding success. In 1971, he was also admitted to the Delhi Bar Council as an advocate. From 1977 to 1979, he worked as a Central Government Advocate in the Delhi High Court, then as a Central Government standing counsel in the Supreme Court from 1980 to 1993.
Meanwhile, in 1978, he was admitted to the Supreme Court of India as an advocate-on-record. He was also the personal assistant to India’s then-Prime Minister, Morarji Desai, at the time (1977-78).
Kovind, who was born into the Dalit group, was passionate about social justice causes. From his undergraduate days, he was a warrior for the rights and causes of the poorer parts of society, providing free legal aid to the oppressed, particularly women and the disadvantaged, through the Free Legal Aid Society in New Delhi.
His high-profile legal profession introduced him to a number of politicians, and he entered the political arena himself in 1991, joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was elected to the Rajya Sabha representing the state of Uttar Pradesh in April 1994. He was a popular figure in this post, serving for a total of 12 years until March 2006.
To protest against several government orders, Kovind joined the SC/ST employees’ agitation against the federal government in 1997. Following the enactment of three constitutional amendments, these orders were declared null and void.
Between 1998 and 2002, he was the President of the BJP Dalit Morcha, a prominent champion for Dalit rights. He was also elected President of the All-India Koli Samaj during this period. He also served as the party’s national spokesperson.
He sat on the Parliamentary Committee for Welfare of Scheduled Castes/Tribes, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Home Affairs, Social Justice and Empowerment, and Law and Justice as a member of parliament.
Along with social justice, he was committed to improving educational opportunities for children in rural areas. Under the M.P.L.A.D.
In the scheme, he assisted in the construction of schools in rural parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand. On study visits, he went to Nepal, Thailand, Pakistan, Germany, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
In addition to his political career, Kovind has served on the Board of Governors of IIM Kolkata and the Board of Management of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University in Lucknow. He spoke before the United Nations General Assembly in 2002 as India’s representative to the UN.
When the President of India nominated him as Governor of Bihar in August 2015, his distinguished political career reached new heights.
The tenacious politician once again demonstrated his mettle by forming a judicial panel to look into the appointment of undeserving applicants in universities, irregularities in the advancement of unfit professors, and financial mismanagement.
India’s 14th President
On June 19, 2017, Ram Nath Kovind was chosen as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate for India’s 14th President. He resigned as Governor of Bihar after being nominated for India’s highest office.
On July 20, 2017, he was sworn in as India’s 14th President. Meira Kumar, the opposition’s joint candidate, was defeated. On July 25, 2017, he took the oath of office.
Ram’s Major Projects
Ram Nath Kovind is well-known for fighting for the rights of the impoverished, particularly Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/OBCs, minority communities, and poor women.
He has not only served on the Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, but he has also provided free legal services to the needy and weaker parts of society through the Delhi-based Free Legal Aid Society.
Personal History and Legacy
On May 30, 1974, Ram Nath Kovind married Savita Kovind. They have two children: Prashant, a son, and Swati, a daughter.
Estimated Net worth
Though it is tough to obtain specific salary and asset information. You can find the most up-to-date information on salary and assets in the table below.
This section has been updated to include controversies. Ram Nath Kovind has an estimated net worth of Rs. 4.61 crore (as of 2019).
Trivia
This well-known BJP leader is well-known for gifting his family property in Derapur to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS.)