Durgābāi, Lady Deshmukh [1] (Telugu: దుర్గాబాయి దేశ్ముఖ్) (July 15, 1909 - May 9, 1981) was an Indian freedom fighter, lawyer, social worker and politician. She was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and the Planning Commission of India.
Born in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Durgabai was married to C.D. Deshmukh, the first Indian Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and Finance Minister in India's Central Cabinet during 1950 - 1956.She was a public activist for women's emanicipation,also founder of Andhra Mahila Sabha, Congress.She was also the founder chairperson of central social welfare board.
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From an early life Durgabai was associated with Indian Politics. When the Indian National Congress had its conference in her hometown of Kakinada in 1923 she was a volunteer and placed in charge of the Khadi Exhibition which was running side by side. Her responsibility was to make sure that visitors to the exhibition were not allowed without tickets, and even forbade Jawaharlal Nehru from entering. [3] When the organisers of the exhibition saw what she did and angrily chided her, she replied that she was only following instructions. After the organisers bought a ticket for Nehru, he then praised the girl for the courage with which she did her duty.
She was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi in India's struggle for freedom from the British Raj, and a prominent social reformparticipation in Gandhi-led Satyagraha activities, British Raj authorities had imprisoned her three different times.