The Union home ministry announced the names of new nominees to the Rajya Sabha during the late hours of Saturday, and 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case special public prosecutor, Ujjwal Nikam, has been included in the list.
In a gazette notification issued late Saturday night, the Centre said President Droupadi Murmu has nominated the names of former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party leader C. Sadanandan Master, historian Meenakshi Jain and lawyer Nikam to the Rajya Sabha.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (a) of clause (1) of article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, the President is pleased to nominate to th Council of States the following persons to fill the vacancies caused due to retirement of nominated members:- Ujjwal Deorao Nikam, C. Sadanandan Master, Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Dr. Meenakshi Jain," the notification said.
The President can nominate 12 people of eminence in various fields to the Rajya Sabha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the nominations. Highlighting th contributions of the nominees, Nikam said Nikam’s devotion to the legal field and to the Constitution is exemplary. "He has not only been a successful lawyer but also been at the forefront of seeking justice in important cases. During his entire legal career, he has always worked to strengthen Constitutional values and ensure common citizens are always treated with dignity," the prime minister tweeted.
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On C. Sadanandan Master, the prime minister said the life of this teacher from Kerala is an "epitome of courage and refusal to bow to injustice". "Violence and intimidation couldn’t deter his spirit towards national development," he said.
Recalling Shringla's contributions during India's G20 presidency, Modi said the former diplomat made key contributions to India’s foreign policy. On noted historian Meenakshi Jain's nomination, Modi said, "Her work in the fields of education, literature, history and political science have enriched academic discourse significantly."