The Centre has appointed Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar, former chief of the BJP Mahila Morcha and ex-Chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women, as the new chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW).
The appointment, confirmed by a government notification on Saturday, is made under Section 3 of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990. Rahatkar will serve for a term of three years or until she reaches the age of 65, whichever comes first.
In addition to Rahatkar's appointment, the government has named new members to the NCW. Dr. Archana Majumdar has been officially appointed as a member of the NCW for a three-year tenure, as stated in a notification from the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Vijaya Rahatkar, who currently serves as the National Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Co-Incharge of the party's Rajasthan unit, has a long-standing association with the party. Over the years, she has held various positions within the BJP, contributing to the party's growth and electoral success.
Rahatkar completed her Bachelor's degree in Science with a major in Physics and holds a Postgraduate degree in History, both from Pune University. Hailing from the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, she began her political journey in 1995 as a booth worker in the BJP and steadily climbed the ranks.
She served as an elected member of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation from 2000 to 2010 and was elected Mayor of Aurangabad from 2007 to 2010, representing the General and Open Category. During her tenure, she was the Vice-President of the National Mayors’ Council and President of the Maharashtra Mayors’ Council.
Rahatkar has also been the National General Secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha for two terms from 2010 to 2014 and became the National President of the BJP Mahila Morcha in 2014.