1.Smt.

Sarojini naidu

Sarojini Naidu Born: February 13, 1879 Died: March 2, 1949 Achievements: She was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and the first woman to become the governor of a state in India. Sarojini Naidu was a distinguished poet, renowned freedom fighter and one of the great orators of her time. She was famously known as Bharatiya Kokila (The Nightingale of India). Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and the first woman to become the governor of a state in India. Sarojini Naidu was born on February 13, 1879. Her father Aghoranath Chattopadhyaya was a scientist and philosopher. He was the founder of the Nizam College, Hyderabad. Sarojini Naidu's mother Barada Sundari Devi was a poetess and used to write poetry in Bengali. Sarojini Naidu was the eldest among the eight siblings. One of her brothers Birendranath was a revolutionary and her other brother Harindranath was a poet, dramatist, and actor. Sarojini Naidu was a brilliant student. She was proficient in Urdu, Telugu, English, Bengali, and Persian. At the age of twelve, Sarojini Naidu attained national fame when she topped the matriculation examination at Madras University. Her father wanted her to become a mathematician or scientist but Sarojini Naidu was interested in poetry. She started writing poems in English. Impressed by her poetry, Nizam of Hyderabad, gave her scholarship to study abroad. At the age of 16, she traveled to England to study first at King's College London and later at Girton College, Cambridge. There she met famous laureates of her time such as Arthur Simon

and Edmond Gausse. It was Gausse who convinced Sarojini to stick to Indian themes-India's great mountains, rivers, temples, social milieu, to express her poetry. She depicted contemporary Indian life and events. Her collections "The golden threshold (1905)", "The bird of time (1912)", and "The broken wing (1912)" attracted huge Indian and English readership. At the age of 15, she met Dr. Govindarajulu Naidu and fell in love with him. a non-brahmin, and a doctor by profession. After finishing her studies at the age of 19, she married him during the time when inter-caste marriages were not allowed. It was a revolutionary step but Sarojini's father fully supported her in her endeavour. Sarojini Naidu had a happy married life and had four children: Jayasurya, Padmaj, Randheer, and Leilamani. Sarojini Naidu joined the Indian national movement in the wake of partition of Bengal in 1905. She came into contact with Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Rabindranath Tagore, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Annie Besant, C.P.Rama Swami Iyer, Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru. She awakened the women of India. She brought them out of the kitchen. She traveled from state to state, city after city and asked for the rights of the women. She re-established self-esteem within the women of India. In 1925, Sarojini Naidu presided over the annual session of Indian National Congress at Kanpur. Sarojini Naidu played a leading role during the Civil Disobedience Movement and was jailed along with Gandhiji and other leaders. In 1942, Sarojini Naidu was arrested during the "Quit India" movement and was jailed for 21 months with Gandhiji. She shared a very warm relationship with Gandhiji and used to call him "Mickey Mouse". After Independence, Sarojini Naidu became the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. She was India's first woman governor. Sarojini Naidu died in office on March 2 ,1949.
SAROJINI NAIDU was famously known as Bharatiya Kokila(The Nightingale of India). SAROJINI NAIDU had 4 children: Jayasurya, Padmaja, Randheer, and Leelamani. Her daughter Padmaja later became Governor of Bengal.n 1961 her daughter, Padmaja published a collection of her previously unpublished poems under the title, The Feather of the Dawn.

2. Kiran Bedi

Kiran Bedi is the first woman officer to join Indian Police Officer. She is India's first and highest ranking women officer. She joined the Indian Police Service in 1972, and has an expertise of innovative and welfare policing. Kiran Bedi was born on June 9, 1949. She was the second of the four daughters of her parents, her father Prakash Lal Peshawaria, a landlord in Punjab and mother Prem Lata Peshawaria. Kiran Bedi did her schooling at the Sacred Heart Convent and joined NCC. She excelled at sports and took up tennis, a game which her father used to play. After school she went on to study Political Science at the Government College for Women, Amritsar. Kiran Bedi started her career as a lecturer in Political Science. Soon she left the job after the selection in the Indian Police Service in the year 1972. In her more than 35 years of the police service she served in a number of different and challenging assignments. Kiran Bedi has greatly influenced areas like control of narcotics, traffic management and VIP security. She retired from IPS in December, 2007, after taking voluntary retirement. She was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award (Asian Nobel Prize) in 1994 for her prison reform policies. She has received several coveted awards. Kiran Bedi has been an author of several books, guest columnist in various magazines and newspaper and anchored several Radio and Television shows. She diligently worked for social-issues like prison reforms, crime prevention, drug abuse, police and women's issues. She's been involved in education, training, counseling, and health care to the urban and rural poor. She has worked with the United Nations as the Police Advisor and represented India at the

United Nations and in International forums. She has set up two voluntary NGOs, Navjyoti and India Vision Foundation, which works relentlessly in the areas of drug abuse treatment and schooling for prisoner's children. Kiran Bedi is a gusty woman who fears nobody. She has been one of the most inspiring Indian figures and admired women. 3. Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi Date of Birth Date of Death Place of Birth : : : 1834 Jun 18, 1858 India

Rani Laxmibai's courage, deeds of valour and heroic battle against the British have become the theme of many a folklore and ballad in the country. She is the immortal warrior the country has ever seen. Even as a child Laxmibai learnt horse riding and sword fighting. When both her husband Raja Gangadhar Rao of Jhansi and her only son died in 1853 she adopted a son and made him the heir to the throne. The British Governor General Dalhousie refused to recognize her adopted son as heir to the throne and ordered annexation of Jhansi into British Raj. Rani Laxmibai refused to part with Jhansi. A fierce fight ensued. The Rani fought the British undauntedly leading her forces from the front and showed great courage and skill. She was fatally wounded in the battle and she breathed her last on 18-06-1858.

4. Mother Teresa
Date of Birth Date of Death Place of Birth : : : Aug 26, 1910 Sep 5, 1997 Skopje

Teresa was born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhin on 26th August 1910 in Skopje, now the capital of Macedonia to Albanian parents. She was the youngest of three children. Exposed early to prayer and service, she was deeply religious. At the age of 18, she left home for Dublin, Ireland, to join the Loretto abbey and become a nun of the Roman Catholic church. After her training, she was given the name of Sister Teresa. Sisters of Our Lady of Loreto, were very active in India, doing missionary work. She came to India on January 6, 1929 to become a teacher and was moved at the sight of the crippled and helpless people on the pavements. She taught in St. Mary's convent school in Kolkata for 15 years later on became the headmistress. In 1937, she took her final vows as a nun, in Darjeeling. Mother Teresa became an Indian citizen in 1962. She has received many national and international awards in recognition of her noble work for humanity. The first award being Padmashri for distinguished service (1962), then the Magsaysay Award the same year, Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971), Good Samaritan Award (1971), John . F. Kennedy International Award (1971), Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International peace (1972), Nobel Peace Prize (1979), Bharat Ratna (1980), Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award (1993) etc. were some of them. In 1983, at the age of 72, Mother was diagnosed with a serious heart condition and her health steadily worsened. In 1990, Mother had decided to step down as the head due to her failing health and so called a conclave of sisters to choose a successor. But in a secret ballot, she was re-elected with one dissenting vote, that was her own. In 1991 she underwent heart surgery and in March 1997,

Sister Nirmala a former Hindu converted to Roman Catholic was elected to succeed Mother Teresa as leader of Missionaries of Charity. On September 5, 1997 the 87-year old mother died of severe cardiac arrest at the Missionaries of Charity headquarters in Kolkata. The late mother taught the world the beauty in giving and left behind an enormous organisation with the will to continue her work. Mother was beatified by Pope John Paul II at St. Peters square in Vatican, on October 19th 2003, seven years after her death. Henceforth the mother will be referred to as the The Blessed Teresa of Kolkata.

5.Savitribai Phule
Date of Birth Date of Death Place of Birth : : : 1831 Mar 10, 1897 India

Savitribai Phule was the wife of the social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. Women's education, liberating women from the cultural patterns of the male dominated society, widow remarriages, removal of untouchability became a mission of life for her. In 1852 she opened a school for untouchable girls. In 1868 she welcomed untouchables to take water from her well. In 1973 she adopted a son of a widow. Hers was a life of struggle against the evils of society she died on 10-3-1897). In the middle of 19th century one of the most respected personality, father of the Indian Social Revolution Jyoti Rao Phoolay and his life Partner Krantijot Savitri Bai Phoolay revolted against Brahminical system and hegemony of the Brahmins in all spheres of life. An incident in 1848 made young Phule aware of the inequities of the caste system and the predominant position of the Brahmins in the social set-up. As a bridegroom was being taken in a procession, Jyotiba was accompanying him along with the relatives of this friend. Upon knowing that Jyotiba belonging to "Mali" caste which was considered to be inferior. The relatives of the bridegroom insulted him for taking part in that auspicious occasion. This incident triggered young Jotiraos impressionable mind to defy the caste system and to serve the Shudras and women who were deprived of their rights as human beings under the caste system throughout his life.

Jotirao Phoolay and Krantijot Phoolay boldly attacked the stronghold of the Brahmins, who prevented others from having access to all the avenues of knowledge. They denounced them as cheats and hypocrites. They organised the untouchables and women and started the anti-Brahmin movement. They opened schools for the untouchables and women and gave the message of equality then high caste Hindus ostracized him and demolished his house. Phule launched a jihad against the priesthood and brahminical supremacy with a deep sense of commitment. They declared that social slavery is worst than political slavery. Phoolay wrote a book Gulamgiri for the salvation of Shudras and Ati Shudras in which he gave a clarion call to the Shudras and Ati Shudras for waging a decisive war against social system of the Hindus. They formed a Satya Sodhak Samaj for this purpose.