Pratibha Patil to celebrate her 73rd birthday

New Delhi, Dec 19: President Pratibha Patil, who is celebrating her 73rd birthday today, will meet special children. This is Patil"s first birthday at Rashtrapati Bhavan after she took charge of the country's highest constitutional post in July this year.

President Patil will visit Asha Kiran, a home for the mentally-challenged children and interact with the inmates there. Later, she will visit the Missionaries of Charity institute Nirmal Hriday, a home for destitute. According to Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Vice President Hamid Ansari and other dignitaries will meet President Patil at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Patil, who is the country"s first woman President, succeeded Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

President Patil, a member of the Indian National Congress (INC), was nominated by the United Progressive Alliance and Left. She won the presidential election held on July 19, 2007 defeating her nearest rival Bhairon Singh Shekhawat by over 30,00,00 votes.

A lawyer by profession, Patil represented Edlabad constituency in Jalgaon District, Maharashtra as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (1962-1985).

President Patil was deputy chairwoman of the Rajya Sabha (1986-1988), Member of Parliament from Amravati in the Lok Sabha (1991-1996), and the 24th, and the first woman Governor of Rajasthan (2004-2007). ANI>