Arunachal gets first woman minister in two decades

Making history, Dasanglu Pul was sworn in as a minister in the Arunachal Pradesh government on June 13, becoming the first woman to hold a cabinet position in the state after a gap of 20 years. 

The oath ceremony, held at the Dorjee Khandu Convention Hall in Itanagar, was attended by a host of dignitaries including Union Ministers Amit Shah, J.P. Nadda, and Kiren Rijiju, along with the chief ministers of Sikkim and Assam.

Pul, 46, represents the Hayuliang assembly constituency in Anjaw district. She was first elected in a 2016 by-election after the demise of her husband, former chief minister Kalikho Pul. She has since been re-elected twice, in 2019 and 2024, becoming one of the few women leaders in Arunachal to achieve such a rare feat.

Prior to her induction into the cabinet, Pul served as an adviser to the Women and Child Development department. Her appointment as a minister is being hailed as a significant step towards greater representation of women in the state's decision-making bodies.

This term, Arunachal Pradesh has four women MLAs, with Tsering Lhamu (Lumla), Chakat Aboh (Khonsa West), and Nyabi Jini Dirchi (Basar) being the other three.