Maneka Gandhi: ISC (The Indian School Certificate is the equivalent of Grade 12)
Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has been inducted into Narendra Modi's council of ministers as cabinet minister for Women & Child Development.
She has been elected from Pilibhit constituency in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
While maintaining her low key profile Maneka Gandhi has managed to leave a mark in her field of interest.
Unlike the rest of the Gandhi family members, Maneka is not a frequent newsmaker but with her intense efforts towards fighting for environment, Maneka has gained popularity.
Born into a Sikh family Lt. Col. Tarlochan Singh Anand and Amteshwar Anand, Maneka pursued her education from Delhi.
In 1973, Maneka and Sanjay met each other in 1973 at a cocktail party thrown by Maneka's uncle Major-General Kapur to celebrate the forthcoming marriage of his son Veenu Kapur.
It was love at first sight. The meeting turned out to be a memorable one for both of them. They spent the evening talking. The two developed an instant liking and felt connected; they both agreed to meet again.
After an year, the two got married. Sanjay's involvement in politics was increasing with time and Maneka was seen with him almost everytime on his tours.
She also founded the news magazine Surya which later played an instrumental role in promoting Congress party after its defeat in 1977 elections.
Post Sanjay's death in a plane mishap on January 23, 1980, Maneka stayed at Indira Gandhi's official residence, but after frequent tiffs with her mother-in-law, she was asked to leave 1, Safdarjung Road.
Maneka left the PM's residence in full media glare in 1981, and then founded the Sanjay Vichar Manch along with Akbar Ahmed Dumpy, an old Sanjay acolyte, but the forum did not last long.
Maneka joined the Janata Dal led by V P Singh in 1988 and became the General Secretary for one year. In 1989, Maneka won her first ever election to Parliament and joined V.P. Singh's cabinet as Minister for nvironment.
It was during this period that Maneka Gandhi took several significant steps to protect environment and ecology, and cracked her whip against people engaged in cruelty against animals.
Through her project Old Age Social and Income Security (OASIS) she introduced significant reforms in the India Pension system.
Her rigorous attempts towards a better environment gained her the chairmanship of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) in 1995.
Her spectacular writing skills are displayed in her books like Plant Mythology, Animal Activism and Laws etc.
A prominent member of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), she is also a trustee of Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Shelter and Hospital.
