Mother Teresa

As the day is a remembrance to great women for their outstanding achievements that are indefinable, let’s have a feel of their feats. Mother Teresa, the idle women, born for a cause and died for that cause and the cause was ‘serving Humanity’. Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was the birth name assigned to the lady, who belonged to a small district of Rome with her charity mission. India has been the country, being major blessed with her sanctions. She was also remembered as the Humanitarian Nun of Calcutta “The Saint of the Gutters”

Annie Besant

Annie Besant, the daughter of William Wood and Emily Morris, was born in 1847. She came to India on 16 November 1893 to attend the Annual Convention of the Theosophical Society at Adyar in Madras. Since then, she worked for the freedom of India. She purchased the newspaper Madras Standard and renamed it New India, which, thereafter, became her chosen organ for her tempestuous propaganda for India’s freedom. She named this freedom "Home Rule" for India. In August 1917 she was made the President of the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.

Lady Diana

The late Diana, Princess of Wales was born as Lady Diana Frances Spencer on 1 July 1961 in Norfolk. She married The Prince of Wales at St Paul's Cathedral in London on 29 July 1981. Her biggest achievement, becoming the most famous woman in the world and raising awareness of several social issues including AIDS, poverty, drug problems, homelessness. Diana was involved with dozens of charities and had a particular interest in children and AIDS victims. She held honorary ranks with several regiments of the Armed Forces. She was an excellent pianist and was patron of several music organisations and charities.

Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu, the eldest daughter of scientist-philosopher, Aghornath Chattopadhyaya, and Barada Sundari Devi, a poetess was born on 13 February 1879 in Hyderabad. Her father was also a linguist, a crusader, who established the Nizam's College in Hyderabad in 1878, pioneering English and women's education. Her ability to sing charmingly fetched her the title 'Nightingale of India'. Sarojini worked as an active politician and freedom fighter ever since 1917. She was a woman with multiple talents. A great poet, writer, orator, leader, fighter, activist, liberator, administrator, mother, daughter, friend, but most importantly a true Indian.

Rani Lakshmibai

The great heroine of the First war of India Freedom. She lived for only twenty-two years. She became a widow in her eighteenth year. Jhansi, of which she was the queen, was in the grip of the cunning, cruel British. She was the embodiment of patriotism, self-respect and heroism. She was the queen of a small state, but the empress of a limitless empire of glory.

Indira Gandhi

Indira Nehru Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 and was the only child of Jawaharlal and Kamala Nehru. Being influenced and inspired by her parents, Indira Gandhi rose to power in India and eventually became prime minister. She dedicated her life to progress in her country despite the overwhelming problems and challenges she encountered. A brilliant political strategist and thinker, Indira also possessed an extraordinary desire for political power. As a woman occupying the highest position of government in, what was at that time, a very patriarchal society, Indira was expected to be a passive leader, but her actions proved her otherwise.

Bachendri Pal

Bachendri Pal was the first Indian woman to climb to the summit of Mt. Everest, in 1984. Her father was a border tradesman who took atta and rice from India to Tibet on mules, horses and goats. She was judged the best student in the course, and marked down as 'Everest material', much to her surprise. In an advanced camp at NIM in 1982, she climbed Gangotri I (6,672 m/ 21900 ft) and Rudugaira (5,819 m / 19091 ft).

Kalpana Chawla

Born in Karnal, India, Dr. Kalpana Chawla, was the first Indian American to step into sky. She was fond of flying, hiking, backpacking, and reading. She held Certificate Flight Instructor's license and Commercial Pilots licenses for single- and multi-engine land airplanes and single-engine seaplanes, instrument rating, and Private Glider. She enjoys flying aerobatics and tail-wheel airplanes. She was the first and only Indian-American in space (she was born in India and became a naturalized U.S. citizen). She was also a U.S. doctorate & M.S. in aerospace engineeringand B.S. in aeronautical engineering from India. One more feather in her cap was that she was the second Indian in space, after Indian citizen Rakesh Sharma, who flew on a Soviet mission.

Lata Mangeshkar

It is a voice that no Indian can miss. Delightfully high, the notes rendered clearly to the last bar, the words pronounced with a rare panache - the voice has haunted Indians for over five decades. The 'masseuse' of this all-pervading music and the queen empress of India's immensely popular light music industry, is a portly, dark, camera-shy, plain-as-jane, woman, Latabai Mangeshkar, who, as a playback singer, enjoys today, a clout, which even the movie moguls of the country's film industry cannot dream of. Lata Mangeshkar's songs have captured the hearts and imagination of millions of her admirers around the world. They have become an inseparable part of the daily lives of Indians - wherever they may be. Words fail to express the depth and scope of Lata Mangeshkar's genius. Lata Mangeshkar has come to symbolise India in a way that no one else has, or ever will for years to come.

Aishwarya Rai

Born in the small sleepy town of Mangalore in Karnataka, on November 1, 1973, Gullu as she is fondly called, made India proud when she won the Miss World title in 1994. Since then there has been no looking back. Life was not an easy joyride for this green-eyed beauty. She faced very many ups and downs before proving her mark in the industry. She has to her kitty some of the most memorable Bollywood flicks like, Hum Dil DeChuke Sanam, Devdas, Mohabatein, Choker Bali, Taal and she is also planning certain Hollywood movies with some renowned directors.

VijayLakshmi Pandit

Pandit Vijayalakshmi is one of India's most famous women was distinguished for her work in government and for her interest in the women's movement. Madame Pandit was appointed ambassador to the Soviet Union in 1947 and ambassador to the United States in 1949. From 1953 to 1954, she served as the first woman president of the United Nations General Assembly. She then became Indian high commissioner in Britain. She became ambassador to Ireland in 1955 and ambassador to Spain in 1958, and held both posts until 1961. She was governor of the Indian state of Maharashtra from 1962 to 1964, and served in India's Parliament from 1964 to 1967. She retired from public life in 1968. Madame Pandit was born in Allahabad, India.

Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza is the current youth icon in India. Coming from Hyderabad, this teenager girl has achieved great heights and is continuing to create history in Indian tennis by becoming the first ever Indian to break into the top-50 WTA rankings. She also became the first Indian woman to win a WTA tourney when she lifted the Hyderabad Open trophy in February 2005. Sania Mirza has also been honoured with the prestigious Arjuna award by the Indian government for the year 2004.

Kiran Bedi

Honoured with the Magsaysay Award, she was the first woman to join the Indian Police Service in 1972 and the first sub-divisional lady police officer in the country. She draws inspiration from thinkers and writers like Hazrat Mohammed Saheb, Gandhi and Guru Nanak.Bold and courageous ,she has broken all myths about the “weaker sex”.

Barkha Dutt

Most conspicuous as the courageous face during the Kargil war,Barkha Dutt is senior editor at NDTV. Her motto in life is, "Be willing to be unpopular as it makes your reporting more honest." Full of grit and confidence, she is a woman who has added a new face to bold journalism.Her fearless coverage of the Gujarat riots has earned her added praise.

Dr. Kiran Mazumdar -Shaw

Chairman & Managing Director, of Biocon Limited, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw's pioneering efforts in biotechnology have drawn global recognition both for Indian Industry and Biocon. Referred to as "India's Biotech Queen" by The Economist and "India's mother of invention" by New York Times, Ms Shaw is a successful technocrat of global standing and highly respected in the corporate world. Her unique vision has helped Biocon scale great heights. Ms. Shaw is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the ET Businesswoman of the Year, Best Woman Entrepreneur, Model Employer, Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Life Sciences & Healthcare, Leading Exporter, Outstanding Citizen, Technology Pioneer, and the PADMASHRI (1989) and PADMA BHUSHAN (2005).

Arundhati Roy

The first Indian to win The Booker Prize for her celebrated work “the God Of Small Things”, Arundhati Roy was born in 1959 in Shillong, India. She has written two non-fiction books, The Cost of Living (Random House / Modern Library) and Power Politics (South End Press), which have been collected under the title The Algebra of Infinite Justice in India (Penguin India) and the United Kingdom (Flamingo).

Anju Bobby George

25 year-old Anju Bobby George created history after winning a bronze medal in the World Athletic Championships at Paris.Anju had previously won a medal at the Commonwealth Games and a gold at the Busan Asiad Games . With a string of excellent performances in international events and some encouraging jumps which measure up to world standards, during training sessions, Anju George is all set to create history at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Top 10 Indian women leaving their mark in the corporate world

Chanda Kochhar

Beginning her career at ICICI as a management trainee in 1984, Chanda Kocchar has conquered the steps of ranks ladder and has reached the post of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ICICI Bank in May 2009. Under the leadership of Kochhar, ICICI Bank won the the 'Best Retail Bank in India' award from 2001 to 2005 and 'Excellence in Retail Banking Award' in 2002 by The Asian Banker. She was also awarded "Retail Banker of the Year 2004, "Business Woman of the Year 2005" and "Rising Star Award" for Global Awards 2006 by Retail Banker International. She has been consistently figured in Fortune's list of "Most Powerful Women in Business" since 2005. She was also ranked at number 20 in the Forbes "World's 100 Most Powerful Women list" in 2009. She was honored with Padma Bhushan Award by the Government of India in 2010.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

A successful entrepreneur, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the Founder, Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon, the biotechnology company delivering bio-pharmaceutical solutions. She also holds the post of Chairperson of Syngene International Limited and Clinigene International Limited. She started Biocon in 1978 and spearheaded its growth to an internationally recognized bio-pharmaceutical company that focuses on diabetes, oncology and auto-immune diseases. She was awarded the Padmabhushan for her services and contributions to the biotechnology in 2005.

Naina Lal Kidwai

Being the first Indian woman to graduate from Harvard Business School, Naina Lal Kidwai began her career at ANZ Grindlays (1982-1994). During 1994-2002, she worked at Morgan Stanley as Vice Chairman of JM Morgan Stanley and Head of the Investment Bank in India. In 2009, she became the Group General Manager and Country Head, HSBC India. She was repeatedly ranked in the Fortune global list of Top Women in Business, 12th in the Wall Street Journal 2006 Global Listing of Women to Watch and listed by Time Magazine as one of their 15 Global Influentials 2002. She received the Padma Shri for her work in the promotion of Trade and Industry.

Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi

Named #1 on Fortune's list of the "50 Most Powerful Women" and #6 on Forbes' list of the "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" in 2010, Indra Nooyi was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. She is the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo. She is regarded as the primary architect of PepsiCo's growth strategy from the time she took over as it's President and CFO in 2001. She is a Successor Fellow of the Yale Corporation. She serves as a member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum, International Rescue Committee, Catalyst and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. She was also considered as one of "The Top Gun CEOs" by Brendan Wood International in 2009.

Indu Jain

Indu Jain is the Chairperson of India's largest and most powerful media group, Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd., which owns the Times of India and other large newspapers. She is an entrepreneur, a spiritualist, an educationalist, a patron of art and culture and a humanist. She also holds the post of the Chairperson of The Times Group. She addressed the United Nations in 2000 at the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders.

Swati Piramal

Dr.Swati Piramal who has a medical degree from the University of Bombay, a degree in industrial medicine and a master's degree in Public Health from Harvard University USA, is the Vice Chairperson of Piramal Life Sciences Limited and Director of Piramal Healthcare Limited. As Director of Nicholas Piramal, she is responsible for research and development, strategic alliances, communication, knowledge management, public policy, clinical research, planning and implementation of a new clinical research organization. She has been the Vice President of Assocham in 2008 and was elected as its President in 2009.

Mallika Srinivasan

Mallika Srinivasan is the Director of Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd (TAFE). Upon completing her MA in econometrics from Madras University, she went to the U.S. and did her MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Joining the family business in 1986, she gradually converted TAFE into a hi-technology company and within a span of 2 decades, she accelerating its revenue turnover from 85 crores to 2900 crores.

Preetha Reddy

Preetha Reddy is the Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals, one of the largest healthcare conglomerates of India. She is also one of pioneer businesswomen of India in the segment of healthcare industry. Under her leadership, the Apollo Specialty Hospital grown to a level of being known as a major oncology referral centre in Asia. Apollo is also considered to be one of the few places with facility to offer bone marrow transplantation. The hospital was first to perform cord blood transplantation in India. She was graduated in Chemistry from the University of Madras and has a post graduate degree in Public Administration.

Priya Paul

Priya Paul is the Chairperson of Appeejay The Park Hotels chain of boutique hotels. She joined the company at the age of 22 after finishing her studies in Economics at the Wellesley College. With just two years of experience working under her father, she had to take charge of the hotel chain when her father Surrendra Paul was gunned down by the ULFA militants in Assam. She has been recognized by Forbes online as one of India's 100 most powerful businesswomen. She also got many other recognitions such as Young Entrepreneur of the Year award 1999-2000, Businessperson of the year 2002-2003 etc.

Sulajja Firodia Motwani

Sulajja Motwani is the Managing Director of Kinetic Motor Company who looks after the company's overall business developmental activities. She also heads the Kinetic Marketing Services Limited and Kinetic Finance. She has been widely acknowledged for single-handedly designing and developing the marketing strategies to spearhead the company's growth forward. She completed B.Com from Pune University and MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg after which she joined Barra International, California, an investment consulting firm in the U.S. She was rewarded with the Young Achiever's Award for Business in the year 2002, Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in 2002 and was named the "Face of the Millennium" by 'India Today'.

PowerFul Women In Politics

Nirupama Rao, Foreign Secretary

Even her worst critic will say India's foreign secretary is synonymous with diplomacy -- tough, not abrasive; calm, not frantic -- as and when required. And it may help that she is naturally soft-spoken, erudite and graceful.

It is natural progression for a woman who topped the prestigious civil services exam in 1973 and rose to become the only woman after Chokila Iyer to hold the post of foreign secretary.

When Nirupama Rao nee Menon took over from Shivshankar Menon, she came with an attache full of accomplishments -- India's first lady ambassador to China, first lady spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs among other achievements. She also served as minister of press affairs in Washington, DC; deputy chief of mission in Moscow; high commissioner to Sri Lanka; ambassador to Peru.

In an interview to The Tribune, she said that she loved words -- for the sound, the meaning, and the auras they create. Not surprising then she has a book of poetry, Rain Rising, to her credit.

Daughter of an army officer and married to IAS officer Sudhakar Rao who retired as Karnataka's chief secretary, Rao, who was to retire from the Indian Foreign Service this month, has been given a seven month extension and will remain the voice of India's diplomacy till next July. India certainly hopes to see more of her.

There is already talk that she will be India's next ambassador to the US. If the enthusiasm with which Barack Obama greeted her at Palam airport on November 7 is an indication, Indo-US ties could get a further boost with Nirupama Rao's presence in the Indian embassy at 2107 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC.

Meera Shankar, India's Ambassador to the United States of America

When Meera Shankar assumed office as India's ambassador to the US in April 2009, she became India's second lady ambassador to the US (Vijayalakshmi Pandit, Jawaharlal Nehru's sister, was the first) and the first serving Indian Foreign Service officer to be posted in Washington, DC in more than two decades.

She took office after serving as India's ambassador to Germany and is in her second tenure in Washington. Between 1991 and 1995 she was part of a dream team of women diplomats serving under then ambassador to the US, Siddhartha Shankar Ray, who passed away last month.

This elite group included Nirupama Rao, India's current foreign secretary. Shankar, like Rao, is also a 1973 batch IFS officer.

Shankar also served as director in the Prime Minister's Office from 1985 to 1991 -- Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister for most of this tenure, and Sonia Gandhi is said to be fond of her -- and in the ministry of commerce from 1991 to 1995.

Like Rao, Shankar is also married to an IAS officer of the 1973 batch -- her husband Ajay Shankar retired as secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

The elegant Shankar, dressed in exquiste saris, is a familiar figure on Capitol Hill and at think-tanks in Washington, DC, making an eloquent case why India is so important for America, and indeed the world.

Meira Kumar, Speaker, Lok Sabha

When you hear the Lok Sabha Speaker cajoling recalcitrant MPs to 'Please sit down' or beseech them with a 'Baith jaiye', you can scarcely imagine that the dignified lady with a little-girl voice is a five-time MP who has defeated political mammoths like Mayawati and Ram Vilas Paswan in a 25-year political career.

Meira Kumar made history on June 3, 2009, when she became the first lady Speaker of the Lok Sabha -- she was elected unopposed. But then she comes from venerable stock -- she is the daughter of the legendary Jagjivan Ram, who many observers believe was the most competent politician never to be prime minister.

Babuji, as Jagjivan Ram was called, was the most important Dalit politician after Dr B R Ambedkar's death and was a minister in Union Cabinets almost uninterrupted from Jawaharlal Nehru's time till 1979 when he believed then President Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy denied him a chance to lead the nation. Incidentally, Jagjivan Ram was defence minister when India defeated Pakistan in the 1971 war.

Meira Kumar joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1973 -- her batch mates were Nirupama Rao and Meera Shankar! All three ladies were at hand to greet President Barack Obama when he came visiting last month. She served at embassies in Spain and the United Kingdom among other postings, before resigning from the foreign service at Rajiv Gandhi's request to enter politics in the mid-1980s.

Nothing -- not seeing from her father in political action or her career as a diplomat -- could have prepared her to be Speaker in the Time of Turbulence. In the past year, despite rocky sessions and countless adjournments, she has shown that she is an acceptable successor to the venerable Somnath Chatterjee.

Despite her unruffled personality, she is no push-over. During the monsoon session, when Lalu Yadav briefly took over the Lok Sabha in her absence and conducted proceedings, she made her severe displeasure known, compelling her fellow Bihari politician to apologise.

Last month, in a bid to break the impasse that has paralysed the winter session, the Speaker hosted an all-party meeting, alas unsuccessfully. It was better attended than the meeting hosted by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the government's man for all reasons.

Not many MPs know that Meira Kumar rides well, and has won medals in shooting. If they did, perhaps they may be better behaved.

Sushma Swaraj, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha

On November 30, Suhel Seth, the television talking head, tweeted: Is it true that Sushma Swaraj is on twitter? I thought twitter had some IQ barriers!!

Sushmaji did not respond. But some of the 3,115 people following her stood up for her, like actor Anupam Kher who asked: Who are we to decide people's IQ?

In an interview earlier to Rediff.com, Swaraj declared she was a thinking citizen. Though there were many contenders, the National Democratic Alliance chose the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Bhopal to head the Opposition in the 15th Lok Sabha, among its 116 MPs, the successor to L K Advani.

Swaraj has never flinched from her role as Leader of the Opposition in the House of the People. A fine orator and a master in parliamentary tactics -- always vocal, sometimes grating in her political opinion, she has rarely allowed a Lok Sabha session to end without her comment, always in spectacular Hindi.

Her opinions, sometimes controversial, have always made space for change. In a heavily publicised and emotionally charged episode following the 2004 general election, she threatened to shave her head, don a white sari and eat groundnuts (symbolically mourning) if the Italy-born Sonia Gandhi became prime minister.

That tamasha did not happen thanks to Sonia's decision to step aside for our prime minister. Sushamaji has now admitted to a grudging respect and a cordial relationship with the Congress leader against whom she contested a Lok Sabha election in Bellary, Karnataka, in the 1999 general election.

It was that election that brought her in touch with G Janardhana Reddy and G Karunakara Reddy, now nationally known as the mining bros of Bellary. One Congress MP alleged this year that the Reddy brothers have invested heavily to make Swaraj -- who they reportedly revere and call Amma (mother) -- India's next prime minister.

If the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance comes apart at the next general election and the NDA gets a shot at power, the former Union Cabinet minister, former Delhi chief minister and the BJP's poster woman for an emerging India could well win the contest against Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, the likely front-runners for the job.

She appears to be already rehearsing for that role. During her encounter with Barack Obama last month, she firmly told the American president, 'There are loud whispers that India is a market and Pakistan is an ally. You are an outstanding communicator, such a good orator. Please wash away this impression.'

Swaraj is not a popular figure in BJP circles, so if she wants to be prime minister, she needs to first win friends in her party and the NDA, and also influence India's people, who could see her as a divisive figure with a slight record on development, the issue that carries the most weight when Indians come out to vote these days.

Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi

Ten days before the Commonwealth Games began, and much like an awful Bollywood comedy, a pedestrian bridge nearing completion collapsed. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, already roasted by the media and public, visited the site and then looking the television cameras in the eye, declared, 'These minor glitches and hitches do come around... but to make out as the whole thing is collapsing -- I am sorry, we do not agree with that. The accident is not as big as being made out to be.'

It was a rare mis-step for a politician who has played the media often as well as Ustad Zakir Hussein plays the tabla.

Just as the wolves in her Congress party bayed for her head, Dikshit assisted a Herculean effort -- led by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrashekhar -- fixed the numerous glitches and ensured plenty of band-aid for India's battered reputation. Delhi cheered her as much as they booed Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi at the sporting event's opening and closing ceremonies.

It is this never-say-die attitude, image of a doer and unlikely charisma that has won her three terms as chief minister of the National Capital Region. Her many adversaries have made countless efforts to oust Dikshit, but the lady has stayed in charge.

Dikshit introduced the initiative of Bhagidari -- people's participation in the process of governance -- and has been credited with starting the Delhi Metro, CNG-fuelled public transport system, built impressive flyovers that makes Mumbaikars jealous, and an increase in the NCR's green cover (from 26 sq km in 1998 to over 300 sq km in 2008.)

Many residents believe Dikshit must take the rap for Delhi's deteriorating law and order -- though she will quickly point out she has no control over that portfolio; the capital's security is the Union home ministry's brief.

It is uncertain if she will win a fouth term in office -- we don't know yet if the 72-year-old wants to contest another election -- especially after the allegations leveled against her during the run-up to the Commonwealth Games, but Sheila Dikshit may well be seen in the same prism as Lutyens, builder of the new Delhi.

Mayawati, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh

In the Limca Book of Records is an entry listing the 'largest political rally in India' -- a gathering of over 576,000 people organised by the Bahujan Samaj Party for Chief Minister Mayawati in Lucknow.

Her astonishing political career -- she has been chief minister of India's most populous and politically most important state four times! -- is vindication of her decision to leave home and team up with a then political nobody -- BSP founder Kanshi Ram -- defying her conservative father who chose to educate his six sons over her.

Her father may never have believed that his firebrand daughter, once a school teacher, would one day become UP's youngest chief minister -- she was then just 39 -- and the first Dalit woman chief minister of any Indian state.

Neither could he have imagined that she would have an estimated personal net worth of more than Rs 87 crore (Rs 870 million) in 2010, a gain of at least Rs 35 crore (Rs 350 million) over her 2007 declaration -- a 67 per cent return in three years!

Her wealth and the apparent use of the state's coffers for her political whims -- allegedly over Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) spent to erect her statues (the cost of Kanshi Ram's, Dr B R Ambedkar's and elephants (the BSP's symbol) statues have yet to be ascertained) -- have startled India by its brazen disregard for public opinion.

Behenji -- as BSP cadres hail her -- even approved a plan to recruit a special police force to protect the statues from vandals.

Early this year, at the party's silver jubilee celebrations, which reportedly cost an astounding Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion), Mayawati was given a garland of Rs 1,000 notes which according to some estimates was worth Rs 22.5 crore (Rs 225 million).

In February she will tour UP, check out the process of development (Nitish Kumar's triumph next door has apparently rattled her) so that that issue does not scuttle a fifth term as Mukhya Mantri.

After the reverses in the last general election, she hasn't referred to her ambition of becoming India's first Dalit prime minister. If she wins the 2012 assembly election, you can bet your last rupee that Mayawati and the BSP will be back in the reckoning for the 2014 general election.

But for that Mayawati needs to veer away from her exclusive caste-based electoral agenda and devise a strategy based on delivering tangible progress and security to Uttar Pradesh's 170 million-odd people.

Pratibha Patil, President of India

Pratibha Patil can possibly identify with Lyndon Baines Johnson. Like LBJ who took charge as America's president after the charismatic John F Kennedy, Patil succeeded A P J Abdul Kalam, arguably India's most loved President.

On July 27, 2007, when she assumed office as India's first lady president, not many gave her a chance to do well.

But she has done well. Well versed in navigating her way through the byzantine maze of Indian politics, the veteran -- remember she contested her first election in Maharashtra when she was just 27 -- leader has ensured that her office has stayed away from the minefields inevitably laid by the course of coalition politics, and conducted her presidency with remarkable dignity.

If Patil leaves behind a legacy, it is this. She brought to the presidency a certain warmth, without taking away from its majesty

The steady change in their position can be highlighted by looking at what has been achieved by women in the country:

• • 1879: John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune established the Bethune School in 1849, which developed into the Bethune College in 1879, thus becoming the first women's college in India.

  • 1883: Chandramukhi Basu and Kadambini Ganguly became the first female graduates of India and the British Empire.

  • 1886: Kadambini Ganguly and Anandi Gopal Joshi became the first women from India to be trained in Western medicine.

  • 1905: Suzanne RD Tata becomes the first Indian woman to drive a car.^[29]

  • 1916: The first women's university, SNDT Women's University, was founded on June 2, 1916 by the social reformer Dhondo Keshav Karve with just five students.

  • 1917: Annie Besant became the first female president of the Indian National Congress.

  • 1919: For her distinguished social service, Pandita Ramabai became the first Indian woman to be awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind by the British Raj.

  • 1925: Sarojini Naidu became the first Indian born female president of the Indian National Congress

  • 1927: The All India Women's Conference was founded.

  • 1944: Asima Chatterjee became the first Indian woman to be conferred the Doctorate of Science by an Indian university

  • 1947: On August 15, 1947, following independence, Sarojini Naidu became the governor of the United Provinces, and in the process became India's first woman governor.

  • 1951: Prem Mathur of the Deccan Airways becomes the first Indian women commercial pilot.

  • 1953: Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit became the first woman (and first Indian) president of the United Nations General Assembly

  • 1959: Anna Chandy becomes the first Indian woman judge of a High Court (Kerala High Court)^[30]

  • 1963: Sucheta Kriplani became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, the first woman to hold that position in any Indian state.

  • 1966: Captain Durga Banerjee becomes the first Indian woman pilot of the state airline, Indian Airlines.

  • 1966: Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay wins Ramon Magsaysay award for community leadership.

  • 1966: Indira Gandhi becomes the first woman Prime Minister of India

  • 1970: Kamaljit Sandhu becomes the first Indian woman to win a Gold in the Asian Games

  • 1972: Kiran Bedi becomes the first female recruit to join the Indian Police Service.^[31]

  • 1979: Mother Teresa wins the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the first Indian female citizen to do so.

  • 1984: On May 23, Bachendri Pal became the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest.

  • 1989: Justice M. Fathima Beevi becomes the first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India.^[32]

  • 1997: Kalpana Chawla becomes the first India-born woman to go into space.^[33]

  • 1992: Priya Jhingan becomes the first lady cadet to join the Indian Army (later commissioned on March 6, 1993)^[34]

  • 1994: Harita Kaur Deol becomes the first Indian woman pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF), on a solo flight.

  • 2000: Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal (bronze medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics at Sydney)

  • 2002: Lakshmi Sahgal became the first Indian woman to run for the post of President of India.

  • 2004: Punita Arora became the first woman in the Indian Army to don the highest rank of Lieutenant General.

  • 2007: Pratibha Patil becomes the first woman President of India.

  • 2009: Meira Kumar became the first woman Speaker of Lok Sabha, the lower house in Indian Parliament.