Pushpaben Mehta

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.

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).

[8] Her work was blessed by Mahatma Gandhi[9] and participated in the Indian independence movement.

She founded the Vikas Gruh at Saurashtra Society in Ahmedabad in 1937 to shelter those women and make them self-reliant.

[1][9][11] Mehta was a cabinet member of the Arzi Hukumat (provisional government) which was instrumental during the annexation of Junagadh in 1947.

[9] She served as the Chairman of the Social Welfare Boards of Saurashtra, Bombay and Gujarat states from 1954 to 1965.