President Droupadi Murmu has nominated four new members to the Rajya Sabha. These include renowned lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, historian Dr. Meenakshi Jain, and social activist from Kerala, C. Sadanandan Master.
Renowned Criminal Lawyer Ujjwal Nikam
Ujjwal Nikam has acted as a government lawyer in various high-profile criminal cases, including the case of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Meanwhile, Harsh Vardhan Shringla has a commendable record as the former foreign secretary of India, with extensive experience in foreign policy.
Source: aajtak
Sadanandan Master, Survivor of Political Violence
Meenakshi Jain is a respected professor of history, while Sadanandan Master has long been associated with education and social service. He has also survived political violence in Kerala. Each of these names carries a unique identity in their respective fields.
These four individuals have been nominated under Article 80 of the Constitution, which allows the President to send certain distinguished persons to the Rajya Sabha based on their work and experience. This nomination aims to fill vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha.
What Do the Rules Say?
Under Article 80 of the Indian Constitution, the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Parliament) can comprise up to 250 members, with 238 members elected by states and union territories, and 12 members nominated by the President. The President can only nominate individuals to the Rajya Sabha who have made a special contribution in the fields of literature, science, art, and social service. They are nominated under Article 80(1)(a) and 80(3).
The purpose is to provide a voice in Parliament to experts from fields that cannot typically reach the Parliament through general elections. Since the country's independence, several luminaries have been nominated by the President to the Rajya Sabha. Notable names include Lata Mangeshkar, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Zakir Hussain, Ravindra Jain, Rekha, and Sachin Tendulkar.
