Margaret Alva Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 4 ft 11 in |
Weight | 56 kg |
Date of Birth | April 14, 1942 |
Zodiac Sign | Aries |
Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Margaret Alva is an Indian politician who is a member of the Indian National Congress. She made headlines in 2022 after announcing that she would be a candidate for the 14th vice-presidential election. However, she lost the election to NDA’s Jagdeep Dhankar. Nevertheless, Margaret, who is known for her effective political comebacks, has also previously served as the Cabinet Minister, 17th Governor of Goa, 23rd Governor of Gujarat, 20th Governor of Rajasthan, and 4th Governor of Uttarakhand.
Born Name
Margaret Nazareth
Nick Name
Margaret

Sun Sign
Aries
Born Place
Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Residence
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Nationality
Education
After finishing school, Margaret pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree at Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, and further went on to attain a degree in law from Government Law College.
Occupation
Politician, Lawyer
Family
- Siblings – Pascal Alan Nazareth (Brother), Joan Peres, Corinne Rego (Sister), John Mohan Nazareth (Brother)
- Others – Joachim Alva (Fother-In-Law), Violet Alva (Mother-In-Law)
Build
Average
Height
4 ft 11 in or 150 cm
Weight
56 kg or 123.5 lbs
Boyfriend / Spouse
Margaret had been married to –
- Niranjan Alva (1964-2018) – On May 24, 1964, Margaret got married to export businessman and Supreme Court lawyer Niranjan Thomas Alva whom she had met while studying at Government Law College. With Niranjan, she has 3 children, 3 boys – Niret Alva (Television Producer, Chairman of Miditech), Nivedith Alva (b. 1980) (Secretary of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee), Nikhil Alva, and a girl named Manira Alva Pinto (b. 1971). Margaret and Niranjan stayed together for 54 until the passing of her husband in April 2018, in Bengaluru after a brief illness.

Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
Hair Color
Dark Brown
However, due to her age, Margaret’s hair has turned to a shade of salt and pepper.
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- She wears a big red bindi on her forehead.
Religion
Christianity

Margaret Alva Facts
- She was born into a Roman Catholic family in 1942.
- Back in college, Margaret would often find herself keenly debating and showing an interest in students’ movements.
- Her advocacy and involvement with various welfare organizations saw her be elected as president of the Young Women’s Christian Association in the past. She is also the founder of the NGO Karuna which caters to aiding issues faced by women and children.
- Backed by her father-in-law politician Joachim Alva and mother-in-law Violet Alva who was the Second Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Margaret stepped into politics in 1969, working under the lead of the Indian National Congress in the state of Karnataka. Her passion for becoming a politically known figure of further fueled by the death of her mother-in-law the same year.
- She was assigned her first major political role in 1975, as the Joint Secretary of the All India Congress Committee which she continued to serve until 1977. After that, Margaret had been elected as the General Secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee which she served from 1978 to 1980.
- From July 12, 2014, to August 7, 2014, she served as the 17th in-office Governor of Goa.
Featured Image By Margaret Alva / Twitter