Sheila Dikshit is the Chief Minister of Delhi since 1998. An Indian politician, she is a member of Indian National Congress. In January 2009, Dikshit has sworn in as the Chief Minister for a 3rd consecutive term. Sheila Dikshit is the 2nd woman Chief Minister of Delhi and represents the New Delhi Constituency in the Legislative Assembly of Delhi. She has also served the chairperson of the Young Women`s Association. Even sections within Congress, Sheila Dikshit nicknamed as an Outsider. 65-year-old Sheila Dikshit has demonstrated her popularity by spearheading Congress back to power in Delhi for the Third consecutive time in an extraordinary feat. She represents Gole Market Constituency in the Assembly. In 1970`s, she was chairperson of the Young Women`s Association and had set up two of most successful hostels for working women in Delhi.

Early Life of Sheila Dikshit
Sheila Dikshit was born on March 31st, 1938, in a non-political family in Punjab`s Kapurthala district. She is the eldest of three daughters. She successfully completed her education at Convent of Jesus and Mary School, New Delhi and later in Miranda House, Delhi University. Dikshit also holds Master degree in History. She is also the beneficiary of Doctor of Philosophy, honoris causa, from the University of Delhi. She was married into the family of Shri Umashankar Dikshit, noted freedom fighter and a former Governor and Union Cabinet Minister. Her late husband Shri Vinod Dikshit, Son of Veteran freedom Fighter Umashankar Dikshit, was a widely respected member of the Indian Administrative Service. Sheila Dikshit has two children, Sandeep Dikshit, who is a member of parliament from East Delhi for Congress and daughter Latika Syed.

Political Career of Sheila Dikshit
In administrative and legislative matters, Sheila Dikshit has shown considerable penetration. After the 1969, split in Congress in a big way, she got involved in politics. She faced one of the major challenges of her life when Indira Gandhi trusted only some of her supporters, including Uma Shankar Dikshit. Sheila stepped in to assist him as her father-in-law`s workload increased assorted in the wake of this development. Impressed by her work, Gandhi designated Sheila to work as a member of the Indian delegation to the UN Commission on status of women.

During the Rajiv Gandhi Government in 1986-1989 Sheila Dikshit served as a Minister in the Union Government, first as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and later as a Minister of State in the Prime Minister`s office. From 1984 to 1989, Sheila was a Member of Parliament in lieu of Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Sheila Dikshit served on the Estimates Committee of Lok Sabha as a Member of Parliament. She also chaired the Implementation Committee for Commemoration. In 1998, as the President of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, she led her party to a far-reaching victory in the Assembly elections.

In August 1990 Sheila Dikshit along with her 82 colleagues had been jailed by the state government for 23 days in Uttar Pradesh. She had led a people`s movement against the atrocities being committed on women. Lakhs of citizens all over UP had joined hands with her in the movement.

Sheila Dikshit has also served as the Secretary of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. It presents the Indira Gandhi Award for Peace, Disarmament and Development and Organises conferences on issues of the global concern. Dixit has also been instrumental in promoting handicrafts and rural artisans all over the country. She has also promoted the folk theatre.

A strongly committed person to Secularism, Sheila Dikshit has fought against the rise of communal forces from every platform. While in power, her motto has been good governance and development with promise, to make Delhi rise to world-class standards. Her government centred on reforms in various sectors and continuously worked for the engagement of people in decision-making by introducing concept of Bhagidari or Partnership, with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAS). Another priority of her government was E-governance, which are aimed at doing away with corruption and installing a transparent government.

Awards of Sheila Dikshit
As a Chief Minister, Dikshit was conferred with the Best Chief Minister of India by Journalist Association of India on 12 July 2008. In 2009, Sheila Dikshit received the Politician of the Year award by NDTV.