Pushpaben Mehta

Pushpa Janardanrai Mehta (21 March 1905 ― 2 April 1988), also known as Pushpaben Mehta, was an Indian social worker and politician from Gujarat. She founded and headed several women and child welfare organisations in Ahmedabad and Saurashtra region. She served as the member of legislative assemblies of Saurashtra, Bombay and Gujarat states consecutively from 1952 to 1962. She served as the member of Rajya Sabha from 1966 to 1972. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956.

Early life Pushpaben was born on 21 March 1905 to Harprasad Desai, an official of the Junagadh State, and Hetuba in Veraval (now in Gir Somnath district, Gujarat, India). After studying in local girls school in Veraval, she joined the experimental school of the Mahalaxmi Female Training College at Ahmedabad in 1915. Her family returned to Veraval following the plague in Ahmedabad.

She married Janardan Mehta, a teacher from Bhavnagar, in Veraval on 25 January 1920. They moved to Karachi following their marriage where Janardan could teach at B. V. S. Parsi High School. She gained a stepson from Janardan's previous marriage. Usha was their only daughter who was born in 1922.

She founded social organisations in the Saurashtra region including Revashankar Pancholi Pragati Gruh at Halvad in 1944, Vikas Vidyalaya at Wadhwan in 1945, Kanta Stree Vikas Gruh at Rajkot in 1945, Shishu Mangal at Junagadh in 1947-48, Mahila Vikas Mandal at Amreli in 1950, Kasturba Stree Vikas Gruh at Jamnagar in 1956, Tapibai Vikas Gruh at Bhavnagar in 1960 and Kalyan Gram-Vikas Vidyalaya at Morbi in 1979. She established three Ashram Shalas (residential schools) in tribal regions of Saurashtra. She was the first speaker of the Saurashtra Legislative Assembly.

She died on 2 April 1988 in Ahmedabad.

Recognition She was awarded the Jamnalal Bajaj Award for Women and Children Welfare in 1983. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award of India, in 1956 for her contribution in public affairs.