President Draupadi Murmu has nominated Ujjwal Nikam, Harshvardhan Shringla, Meenakshi Jain and C. Sadanandan Master for the Rajya Sabha. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification to this effect on 12 July 2025.
Harshvardhan Shringla became MP from diplomat
Former Foreign Secretary and senior diplomat Harshvardhan Shringla has been an officer of Indian Foreign Service 1984 batch. He has served as India’s diplomatic representatives in many countries including the US, Bangladesh and Thailand. In 2020, he was appointed Foreign Secretary. He is a graduate from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi.
Eminent lawyer Ujjwal Nikam’s entry in Rajya Sabha
Ujjwal Nikam, who was a government lawyer in high-profile cases like Ajmal Kasab, Gulshan Kumar murder case and 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, has also been sent to Rajya Sabha. Born in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, Nikam was awarded the Padma Shri in 2016. A film called ‘Adesh-Power of Law’ has also been made on his biography. In 2024, he contested the Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket but was defeated.
Historian Meenakshi Jain also nominated
Dr. Meenakshi Jain, who has made a notable contribution in the field of history and cultural studies, has also been nominated as a Rajya Sabha member. She is a writer of many popular books including research based on Ayodhya dispute, Sati system and Hindu-Muslim relations. He was awarded the Padma Shri in the year 2020.
Social worker Sadanandan Master also got a place
Senior social activist and educationist C. Sadanandan Master of Kerala has made significant contribution in the field of education. He himself has been a victim of political violence and has been active in social upliftment works for a long time.
Enrollment under constitutional provision
All of them have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha under Article 80 of the Indian Constitution, which gives the President the right to place specific contribution in areas like literature, science, art and social service in the upper house. Maximum 12 such members can be nominated in Rajya Sabha.
