Rajkumari Amrit Kaur served as a member of the Standing Commission from August 1952 until 1964 (when she passed away), having been re-elected in November 1957. Although the Standing Commission lost two members that year (General Gruenther retired), the remaining members decided not to replace them as the next International Conference of the Red Cross was only months away (the election of new members are voted on at the Conference).[1] Amrit Kaur was born into the princely family of Kapurthala and was educated at Oxford University, England.[2] She had a long and distinguished career in the Indian government after having been active in the drive for Indian independence. With independence in 1947, she was appointed as the Minister for Health and was the first woman in the Indian Cabinet. In 1950, she was also elected as the first female President of the World Health Organization. Amrit Kaur later became the President of the Indian Red Cross Society, a post which she held for fourteen years. During her tenure, she founded the Tuberculosis Association of India, the Central Leprosy Teaching and Research Institute and the Amrit Kaur College of Nursing. She continued to pursue humanitarian causes up until her death in 1964. Amrit Kaur was born on February 2nd 1889 and died on October 2nd 1964.[3]
[1] IFRC archives
[2] http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/rajkumari-amritkaur.html
[3] Standing Commission
