Tara Cherian (May 1913 - 7 November 2000) was an Indian social activist and politician. She was the first woman

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

city. The Government of India awarded her the civilian honour of the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

in 1967.

Early life

Tara was born in May 1913 and graduated from the

Madras University The University of Madras (informally known as Madras University) is a public state university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and among the most prestigious universities in India, incorporated by an a ...

. On completion of her studies, Tara plunged into social activism and joined the Guild of Service.

As Mayor

Like her husband P. V. Cherian, Tara was nominated mayor of Madras in November 1957. She was the first woman to hold the post. Her tenure is notable for the introduction of the mid-day meals scheme in the city.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cherian, Tara 1913 births 2000 deaths Mayors of Chennai Women mayors of places in Tamil Nadu Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in social work Activists from Tamil Nadu Politicians from Chennai University of Madras alumni 20th-century Indian women politicians 20th-century Indian politicians Social workers 20th-century Indian educators Educators from Tamil Nadu Women educators from Tamil Nadu Social workers from Tamil Nadu 20th-century women educators