Ujjwal Nikam, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Meenakshi Jain, Sadanandan Master nominated to Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: The President of India Droupadi Murmu nominated four members to the Rajya Sabha to fill vacancies caused by the retirement of nominated members, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a Gazette notification issued on Saturday.

Those nominated are renowned public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, historian Dr Meenakshi Jain, and educationist Sadanandan Master.

The nominations have been made in exercise of powers under Article 80 of the Constitution of India.

Ujjwal Nikam is a senior public prosecutor known for handling several high-profile criminal cases, including the 1993 Bombay blasts, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks involving Ajmal Kasab, and the Pramod Mahajan murder case. Over his legal career, Nikam is said to have secured over 600 life imprisonments and multiple death penalties. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2016.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla served as the Foreign Secretary of India and was earlier posted as India’s Ambassador to the United States, among other key diplomatic assignments. He brings with him vast experience in foreign policy and diplomacy.

Dr Meenakshi Jain is a historian and academic known for her work on Indian history and civilisation. She has authored several books and has been part of curriculum development at the national level.

C. Sadanandan Master is an educationist and social worker based in Kerala, known for his work in the field of school education and community development.