Sarojini Jugnauth

{{Short description|First Lady of Mauritius}}

{{BLP sources|date=May 2009}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable

| name = Lady Jugnauth

| image = Mrs. Sarojini Jugnauth at the State House, Reduit, Mauritius (cropped).jpg

| order1 = First Lady of Mauritius

| term_label1 = In role

| term_start1 = 7 October 2003

| term_end1 = 31 March 2012

| predecessor1 = Marie Rose Danielle Offmann

| successor1 = Aneetah Purryag

| order2 = Spouse of the Prime Minister of Mauritius

| term_start2 = 17 December 2014

| term_end2 = 23 January 2017

| predecessor2 = Veena Ramgoolam

| successor2 = Kobita Jugnauth

| term_start3 = 12 September 2000

| term_end3 = 30 September 2003

| predecessor3 = Veena Ramgoolam

| successor3 = Arriane Bérenger

| term_start4 = 30 June 1982

| term_end4 = 20 December 1995

| predecessor4 = Lady Sushil Ramgoolam

| successor4 = Veena Ramgoolam

| birthname = Sarojini Ballah

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1938|4|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Quatre Bornes, British Mauritius

| alma_mater =

| occupation = Teacher, Spouse of Prime Minister, First Lady

| party = Militant Socialist Movement

| spouse = Sir Anerood Jugnauth
(1956–2021)

| children = Pravind Jugnauth
Shalini Malhotra

| residence = La Caverne, Vacoas

| relations =

| signature =

}}

Sarojini Ballah, Lady Jugnauth (commonly known as Lady Sarojini Jugnauth), a former Spouse of the Prime Minister of Mauritius is the widow of Sir Anerood Jugnauth. She previously held the position {{clarify|date=January 2023}} from 1982 to 1995 and from 2000 to 2003, most recently from 2014 to 2017. She was the First Lady of Mauritius from 2003 to 2012 when her husband served as President of the country. She is a primary school teacher by profession and is the mother of Shalini Malhotra and Pravind Jugnauth.

File:The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the ceremonial reception, at Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam Airport, in Mauritius on March 11, 2015 (4).jpg in 2015]]

She took an active role in social activities being the patron of various charitable organizations and also participates in various political activities in support of her family and party. Over the years, she generally retained a high approval rate as wife of the prime minister. She became a subject of controversy in 1992 when the bank of Mauritius issued a Rs. 20 note with her effigy on it. The inauguration of the note was done by her husband and other members of the government.

Due to various pressure from other political parties and unpopularity of then government, the note was subsequently removed from circulation while prime minister Jugnauth apologized in parliament stating that it was a mistake for which he was terribly sorry. The government collapsed in 1995 after losing the general elections.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lemauricien.com/actualites/politique/il-y-eu-vingt-ans-mois-dernier-laffaire-du-billet-rs-20/123217/|title=IL Y A EU VINGT ANS, LE MOIS DERNIER: L'affaire du billet de Rs 20|date=6 May 2012|accessdate=7 June 2021}}