Speaker completes three years in office on Sunday

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar completes three years in office on Sunday.

A diplomat-turned-politician, she took the initiative to organise a number of international seminars hosted by Indian Parliament since she took oath as the Speaker on June 3, 2009.

Kumar, the daughter of Babu Jagjivan Ram, former Deputy Prime Minister of India, has represented Lok Sabha as an MP five times -- two times each from Karol Bag in Delhi and Sasaram in Bihar, which she represents now.

An Indian Foreign Service officer, Kumar entered politics during the tenure of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who asked her to contest the Bijnor by-election to enter the 8th Lok Sabha.

67-year-old Kumar, who was earlier the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, organized a regional seminar for Asian Parliamentarians on "Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls: From Legislation to Effective Enforcement" on September 15 last year.

The fifth conference of SAARC Speakers and parliamentarians held in New Delhi on July, 2011 was another highlight during the three years of her working as Speaker.

Besides taking special interest in hosting different regional and international conferences involving different Parliaments of the world, she also encouraged regular exchange of Parliamentary delegations between different countries and by ensuring India's participation in all major international events involving Parliament.

During her tenure, the 22nd Commonwealth parliamentary seminar was hosted by Indian Parliament in November last year in which delegates from over 20 countries participated.