E-Paper
Mumbai blasts lawyer, ex foreign secretary among 4 new nominees to Rajya Sabha
The nominees include ex diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla, public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, historian Meenakshi Jain, and teacher-politician C. Sadanandan Master.
President Droupadi Murmu has nominated four individuals to the Rajya Sabha, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday. The nominees include former diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla, public prosecutor Ujjwal Deorao Nikam, historian Meenakshi Jain, and teacher-politician C. Sadanandan Master.
Ujjwal Nikam served as the special public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case. He represented the prosecution in the sessions court, the Bombay High Court, and the Supreme Court in the case against Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive during the attacks. Kasab was sentenced to death in 2010, a decision later upheld by the higher courts.
Harsh Shringla is a former Indian Foreign Service officer who has held senior positions in India’s diplomatic missions, including Ambassador to the United States, and served as Foreign Secretary. He has also held postings in Bangladesh and Thailand during his diplomatic career.
Dr. Meenakshi Jain is a historian whose work focuses on medieval and colonial Indian history. She is a former Associate Professor at Gargi College, University of Delhi, and a former Fellow of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. She has authored several books, including Rama and Ayodhya, The Battle for Rama, and Flight of Deities and Rebirth of Temples. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2020.
C. Sadanandan Master is a schoolteacher from Thrissur district in Kerala. He has taught social science at Sree Durga Vilasam Higher Secondary School in Peramangalam since 1999 and holds degrees from Gauhati University and Calicut University. On January 25, 1994, he was attacked near his residence in Kannur, a district known for political violence. The incident resulted in the amputation of both his legs. “The attack was allegedly carried out by members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and was reportedly linked to his political shift away from the Left,” said officials familiar with the case. He was 30 years old at the time.
According to Article 80 of the Indian Constitution, the President may nominate up to 12 members to the Rajya Sabha for their expertise and contributions in fields such as literature, science, art, and social service. These nominations are made on the recommendation of the central government and are intended to bring domain knowledge into parliamentary debates.
