Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Freedom Fighter, Minister
Freedom Fighter, Minister

Rajkumari Amrit Kaur

Born 2 February 1887 · Uttar Pradesh — Died 6 February 1964

First Health Minister of independent India who established the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Rajkumari Bibiji Amrit Kaur DStJ was an Indian activist and politician. Following her long-lasting association with the Indian independence movement, she was appointed the first and the longest serving Health Minister of India in 1947 and remained in office until 1957. She also held the charge of Sports Minister and Urban Development Minister and was instrumental in setting up the National Institute of Sports, Patiala. During her tenure, Kaur ushered in several healthcare reforms in India and is widely remembered for her contributions to the sector and her advocacy of women's rights.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Rajkumari Amrit Kaur donated her ancestral Shimla mansion Manorville to AIIMS as a rest home for its nurses, blending royal legacy with public health service.

The Story

1
🌟 In 1919, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur met Mahatma Gandhi in Bombay and soon became his secretary, a role she held for 16 years, influencing key correspondence during India's struggle for independence.
2
After the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Kaur publicly condemned British rule and formally joined the Indian National Congress, actively campaigning against purdah, child marriage, and the devadasi system.
3In 1947, she was appointed India’s first Health Minister, where she served a decade, directly overseeing the establishment of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in 1956, a cornerstone of Indian healthcare.
4🏥 As Health Minister, Kaur also held the portfolios of Sports and Urban Development, founding the National Institute of Sports in Patiala and donating her ancestral Shimla mansion Manorville to AIIMS as a nurses’ retreat.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—
Padma Vibhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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Rajkumari Amrit Kaur was educated at Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset and Oxford University before returning to India in 1918, a rare educational path for Indian women of her era.

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Through the Years

3 photographs from the archives
Portrait of Rajkumari Amrit Kaur Sahiba, daughter of Raja Harnam Singh (1933)
Portrait of Rajkumari Amrit Kaur Sahiba, daughter of Raja Harnam Singh (1933)
1933
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur with C. Rajagopalachari, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Madame Aung San at New Delhi reception (1949)
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur inaugurates Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India (1955)

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur was born on 2 February 1887 in Badshah Bagh, Lucknow, into the royal Ahluwalia family of Kapurthala.
1887
📚
Education
Returned to India after education
After studying at Sherborne School for Girls and Oxford University in England, she returned to India to join the independence movement.
1918
⚡
Career
Met Mahatma Gandhi
Met Gandhi in Bombay and became his secretary, a position she held for 16 years.
1919
⚡
Career
Appointed Health Minister
Became India’s first Health Minister in independent India, serving until 1957.
1947
⚡
Career
Inaugurated AIIMS Delhi
Officially opened the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, a leading medical education and healthcare institution.
1956
🕊️
Death
Passed away in New Delhi
Died on 6 February 1964 in New Delhi, cremated according to Sikh traditions despite being a practicing Christian.
1964
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 06
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

She served as Gandhi’s private secretary for 16 years, a period during which their extensive correspondence was later published as a volume titled "Letters to Rajkumari Amrit Kaur."

02 / 06
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

In 1956, she inaugurated the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which remains one of India’s premier medical institutions.

03 / 06
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

She was the first Asian woman to chair the World Health Organization’s governing body in the mid-20th century, representing India on global health issues.

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"Letters to Rajkumari Amrit Kaur" (published correspondence with Mahatma Gandhi) contain her own words but no single famous standalone quote is cited in sources.

— Rajkumari Amrit Kaur

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Preserving Rajkumari Amrit Kaur's Legacy
More from this archive
Preserving Rajkumari Amrit Kaur's Legacy
01
Preserving Rajkumari Amrit Kaur's Legacy
First women cabinet minister of india || Rajkumari Amrit Kaur || 1947-57
02
First women cabinet minister of india || Rajkumari Amrit Kaur || 1947-57
Naari Ko Naman: Rajkumari Amrit Kaur was the first Indian woman to be cabinet minister
03
Naari Ko Naman: Rajkumari Amrit Kaur was the first Indian woman to be cabinet minister
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur Biography | India's First Woman Cabinet Minister Amrit Kaur History | YOYO TV
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Rajkumari Amrit Kaur Biography | India's First Woman Cabinet Minister Amrit Kaur History | YOYO TV

🌱 What changed because of them

Rajkumari Amrit Kaur’s decade-long tenure as Health Minister institutionalized modern healthcare in India through the founding of AIIMS and the National Institute of Sports, setting standards for medical education and sports training. Her advocacy for women's rights and social reforms influenced constitutional debates, embedding gender equality into the fabric of the new nation. Her work established frameworks that helped integrate healthcare access with social justice in independent India.

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