Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, the new name of Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra in Delhi

File pic: Zee News

New Delhi: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday (February 13) decided to rename Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra, Delhi as Sushma Swaraj Bhawan & Foreign Service Institute, Delhi as Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service. 

The announcement is being made on the eve of her birth anniversary falling on 14th February in honour of the legacy and decades of public service of the former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to pay tribute to her invaluable contribution.

In honour of the legacy and decades of public service of Smt. Sushma Swaraj, it has been decided to rename Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra as Sushma Swaraj Bhawan & Foreign Service Institute as Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service.
https://t.co/HQCePPWnhQhttps://t.co/B2H2ItkG8P pic.twitter.com/xrwnmffECo — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 13, 2020

Remembering Sushma Swaraj, EAM Dr S Jaishankar tweeted, "Glad to announce that the Government has decided to rename Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra as Sushma Swaraj Bhawan and Foreign Service Institute as Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service. A fitting tribute to a great public figure who continues to inspire us."

On Augst 6, 2019 Sushma Swaraj passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest. A politician of many firsts, her demise marked an end to a political era in Delhi, where she was the last of surviving former Chief Ministers after the death of Sheila Dikshit.

Sushma Swaraj became the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi in 1998, albeit for a short period. Her successor was Sheila Dikshit, who went on to occupy the post for 15 long years and who passed away last month.

In her political career spanning over five decades, Sushma Swaraj was the first full-time woman External Affairs Minister (2014-19). She was also the first woman Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha -- between 2009 and 2014.

She entered politics when few women did so. She was not only the first woman spokesperson in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but also in any national party, and became the youngest Cabinet Minister in Haryana at age 25 in 1977.

Born to a father who was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Sushma Swaraj joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after Emergency and steadily rose the ranks.