Ram Baran Yadav

Dr. Ram Baran Yadav (born 4 February 1948)[1] is a Nepalese politician and physician who served as the first President of Nepal following the declaration of a republic in 2008.[2] He served as the Nepalese President from 23 July 2008 to 29 October 2015. Previously he served as Minister of Health from 1999 to 2001 and general secretary of the Nepali Congress. Yadav also served as Minister of State for Health from 1991 to 1994.[3] He was elected to the House of Representatives in the 1999 election as a candidate of the Nepali Congress, becoming the Minister of Health in the subsequent government.[4][5][6]

Ram Baran Yadav meeting Prime MInister of India Narendra Modi

The Right Honourable Dr. Ram Baran Yadav रामवरण यादव
1st President of Nepal
In office 23 July 2008 – 29 October 2015
Prime Minister	Girija Prasad Koirala Pushpa Kamal Dahal Madhav Kumar Nepal Jhala Nath Khanal Baburam Bhattarai Khil Raj Regmi Sushil Koirala Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli
Vice President	Parmanand Jha
Preceded by	Position established Girija Prasad Koirala as Acting Head of State of Nepal
Succeeded by	Bidhya Devi Bhandari
Personal details
Born	(1948-02-04) 4 February 1948 Sapahi, Dhanusha, Nepal
Political party	Nepali Congress (1968-2008)
Spouse(s)	Julekha Yadav
Children	Chandra Mohan Chandra Shekhar Anita Yadav
Alma mater	University of Calcutta Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research

In May 2007, Yadav's residence in Janakpur was attacked by militants of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM). The JTMM put up a seizure notice at the house, hoisted their flags at it and detonated a bomb.[7] Yadav contested from Dhanusa-5 constituency in the April 2008 Constituent Assembly election and won the seat, obtaining 10,392 votes.[8]

Yadav was elected as the first President of Nepal in a second round of voting on 21 July 2008. He received 308 out of the 590 votes cast in the Constituent Assembly,[9][10] defeating Ram Raja Prasad Singh, who had been nominated by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), in a second round of voting. Yadav was sworn in as President on 23 July 2008. Chief Justice of Nepal Kedar Prasad Giri administered the oath of office and secrecy to Yadav at Shital Niwas, Rastrapati Bhawan. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala among others were present. Yadav also administered oath to Vice-President Parmananda Jha.[11][12]

Personal life

Ram Baran Yadav with Former President of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil

Yadav began his political career while studying medicine in Calcutta, India. He came in contact with several Nepali politicians who had self-exiled themselves in India, such as B. P. Koirala, Ganesh Man Singh, Subarna Shamsher Rana, Pushpa Lal Shrestha, and Saroj Koirala. Inspired by these leaders, Yadav started engaging himself in politics actively. He championed the cause for multi-party democracy during the referendum held in 1980. While practicing as a physician for several years in Janakpur. he engaged himself in politics as an active cadre of the Nepali Congress Party. He was a rural private practitioner for several years as well as a personal physician to Koirala, the first elected Prime Minister of Nepal, from 1980 to 1982.

Yadav was imprisoned for some time until restoration of multiparty democratic dispensation in Nepal in 1990. Thereafter, he was elected twice as a Member of the House of Representatives from the Constituency No. 5 of Dhanusa district of Nepal. He was the Minister of State for Health from 1991 to 1994. He again took charge of the Ministry of Health as the Cabinet Minister from 1999 to 2001. Yadav was elected as a Member of the Constituent Assembly from the same constituency of Dhanusa District during the elections held on 10 April 2008.

Ram Baran Yadav with former Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh

Yadav discharged various responsibilities in the Nepali Congress Party. He was a member of the Central Working Committee for 15 years, and also a member of Parliamentary Board, and a member of the Discipline Committee of the Party. Before being elected as President, he was General Secretary of the Nepali Congress Party.[1]

Ram Baran Yadav and Anita Yadav with the President of India, Pratibha Devisingh Patil and the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh

Ram Baran Yadav visiting a temple

Foreign visits

He visited India in 2010 and went to Tirupati Balaji and Chandigarh, where he received his medical degree. On March 26, 2015, he departed for an official visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese government.

Honours

Ram Baran has received several accolades and honours:

Foreign Honours

• Bangladesh Liberation War Honour (Bangladesh Muktijuddho Sanmanona)

See also

• 2008 Nepalese presidential election
• President of Nepal
• List of Prime Ministers of Nepal

References

1. "DR. RAM BARAN YADAV PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF NEPAL". Office of The President, Nepal. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012.
2. "Physician to become Nepal's first president". International Herald Tribune. 22 July 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
3. Archived March 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
4. Election Commission of Nepal Archived 2006-10-12 at the Wayback Machine
5. aung bakyu (9 June 1999). "N980412". Myanmargeneva.org. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
6. Front Pagers May 31st, 1999 / Jestha 17, 2056 Awake Weekly Chronicle (Nepal) Archived June 19, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
7. "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - World". Tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
8. "Ca Election report". Election.gov.np. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
9. "No Nepali president candidate wins simple majority_English_Xinhua". Big5.xinhuanet.com. 19 July 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
10. "Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens". Nepalnews.com. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
11. thehimalayantimes.com, Yadav Sworn-in as First President of Nepal
12. "nepalnews.com, President Yadav, VP Jha sworn in". Nepalnews.com. Retrieved 9 August 2010.

Political offices
Preceded by Girija Prasad Koirala Acting	President of Nepal 2008–2015	Succeeded by Bidhya Devi Bhandari