Poonam Nath

Four eminent personalities nominated to Rajya Sabha- President Droupadi Murmu

Digital Desk: President Droupadi Murmu has nominated four distinguished individuals to the Rajya Sabha — criminal lawyer Ujjwal Deorao Nikam, diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla, historian Meenakshi Jain, and Kerala-based social worker C. Sadanandan Master — to fill vacancies created by the retirement of nominated members.

The nominees were disclosed in a notification released by the Ministry of Home Affairs late Saturday. The move puts specialists with extensive topic knowledge into the Upper House of Parliament, as allowed by Article 80 of the Constitution.

One of the most well-known names is Ujjwal Nikam, who served as Special Public Prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case.

Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, another appointee, has held senior diplomatic positions in the United States, Bangladesh, and Thailand. In 2023, he was named the Chief Coordinator for India's G20 presidency.

Meenakshi Jain, a historian and Padma Shri awardee, has been recognized for her contributions to Indian history, literature and education. She worked as an Associate Professor at Gargi College, Delhi University.

C. Sadanandan Master, a former teacher and longtime social worker from Kerala, gives a unique perspective to Parliament. After switching parties in 1994, he was brutally attacked and lost both of his legs. Despite the incident, he continued to serve the public and ran in state elections on a BJP ticket.

According to the Constitution, the President may nominate 12 people to the Rajya Sabha for their accomplishments in disciplines such as literature, science, arts, and social service.