Anandiben Mafatbhai Patel (born 21 November 1941)[1][2] is an Indian politician serving as the 20th and current governor of Uttar Pradesh since 2019.

[4][5] On 19 January 2018, she became the Governor of Madhya Pradesh replacing Om Prakash Kohli who was holding additional charge since September 2016.

[6] Anandiben Patel was born on 21 November 1941, in present-day Kharod village of Vijapur taluka of Mehsana district, Gujarat,[1] where her father, Jethabhai, was a teacher.

She took the job of a teacher to support the family financially, responding to an advertisement in the newspaper.

Patel worked as the teacher at Mohiniba Kanya Vidyalaya, Ahmedabad in 1967 or 1970, where she taught science and mathematics to higher secondary students.

[9] Patel's entry into politics began with an accident during a school picnic in 1987, when she jumped in the Sardar Sarovar reservoir to save two girls who were drowning during a school picnic, for which she received a president's bravery award.

[11] In 1992, she participated in Ekta Yatra from Kanyakumari to Srinagar with BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi.

It was under her leadership that the state Government first launched "Shala Praveshotsav" to increase enrolment in schools, which is still the flagship program of the Education department.

On 20 July 2019, she became Governor of Uttar Pradesh on end of term of Ram Naik.

Mafatlal was a professor of psychology at the Saraspur Art and Commerce College, and Anandiben taught mathematics and science, and later became principal, at Mohiniba Kanya Vidyalaya on Ashram Road, Ahmedabad.