
Ujjwal Nikam, Harsh Shringla, Sadanandan Master, Meenakshi Jain nominated to Rajya Sabha
13 Jul 2025, 10:29 GMT+10
New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Deorao Nikam and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla among four eminent personalities nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India in a significant move recognising excellence in public service and scholarship.
Ujjwal Nikam is best known for handling high-profile criminal cases, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks trial of Ajmal Kasab and the 1993 Bombay blasts case.
Shringla, known for his distinguished diplomatic career, was India's Ambassador to the United States and Bangladesh. He served as Foreign Secretary from January 2020 to April 2022.
Other newly nominated members include C. Sadanandan Master, a veteran social worker and educationist from Kerala with decades of grassroots service, and Meenakshi Jain, a noted historian and academic recognised for her contributions to the study of Indian history and civilisation.
These individuals were nominated under the powers conferred by Article 80(1)(a) of the Constitution, read with clause (3) of the same article. These nominations come in the wake of vacancies created due to the retirement of previously nominated members.
The Ministry of Home Affairs made the announcement through a notification.
These nominations fill the vacancies created by the retirement of previous nominated members and are seen as the government's acknowledgment of significant national contributions in the fields of law, diplomacy, social service, and historical scholarship. (ANI)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The Hindu
21 minutes ago
- The Hindu
The EU is delaying retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods in hopes of reaching a deal by Aug. 1
The European Union will suspend retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods scheduled to take effect on Monday (July 14, 2025) in hopes of reaching a trade deal with the Trump administration by the end of the month. ″This is now the time for negotiations,″ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels on Sunday (July 13, 2205), after President Donald Trump sent a letter announcing new tariffs of 30% on goods from the EU and Mexico starting Aug. 1. The EU — America's biggest trading partner and the world's largest trading bloc — had been scheduled to impose ″countermeasures″ starting Monday at midnight Brussels time (6 p.m. EDT; 22:00 GMT). The EU negotiates trade deals on behalf of its 27 member countries. Ms. Von der Leyen said those countermeasures would be delayed until Aug. 1, and that Mr. Trump's letter shows ″that we have until the first of August″ to negotiate. ″We have always been clear that we prefer a negotiated solution,″ she said. If they can't reach a deal, she said that ″we will continue to prepare countermeasures so we are fully prepared.″ Europe's biggest exports to the U.S. are pharmaceuticals, cars, aircraft, chemicals, medical instruments and wine and spirits. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was heading to Washington for talks Monday with the U.S. administration and Congress. In a statement, Mr. Tajani's office said that in his talks with EU allies before the meetings, he stressed the need to 'negotiate with one's head held high.' The right-wing government of Premier Giorgia Meloni, the only EU leader to attend Trump's inauguration, has sought to position itself as a ' bridge' between Brussels and Washington. Mr. Trump has said his global tariffs would set the foundation for reviving a U.S. economy that he claims has been ripped off by other nations for decades. Mr. Trump in his letter to the EU said the U.S. trade deficit was a national security threat. Mr. Trump isn't satisfied with some of the draft agreements on trade, White House National Economic Council Kevin Hassett said on ABC News on Sunday. 'The bottom line is that he's seen some sketches of deals that had been negotiated with Howard Lutnick and the rest of the trade team, and the president thinks that the deals need to be better, and to basically put a line in the sand, he sent these letters out to folks. And we'll see how it works out," he said. U.S. trade partners — and companies around the world from French winemakers to German carmakers — have faced months of uncertainty and on-and-off threats from Mr. Trump to impose tariffs, with deadlines sometimes extended or changed. The tariffs could have ramifications for nearly every aspect of the global economy. The value of EU-U.S. trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in 2024, or an average of 4.6 billion euros a day, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat. Trade Ministers from EU countries are scheduled to meet Monday to discuss trade relations with the U.S., as well as with China. Speaking alongside Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Ms. von der Leyen said the trade tensions with the U.S. show the importance of ''diversifying our trade relationships.″ Announcing closer cooperation between the EU and Indonesia, she stressed the need for ''predictable'' trading partnerships based on ''trust.'' The Indonesian leader said, ''I think the United States will be always a very important leader in the world,'' but also stressed the need for multilateral relationships, adding, ''We would like to see a very strong Europe.''


The Hindu
21 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Singapore is at ‘heart' of India's Act East Policy: Jaishankar
India will play an increasingly important role globally as the world "inexorably" transitions into multipolarity, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said after holding talks with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar on Sunday (July 13, 2025). Mr. Jaishankar, who was in the city-state as part of his two-nation trip, also met President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong. Singapore is at the "heart" of India's Act East Policy, Mr. Jaishankar said after his meeting with Mr. Balakrishnan. From Singapore, he travels to China. India-Singapore relations were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country in September last year. "As the world inexorably transitions into multipolarity, India will play an increasingly important role as one of these major poles of opportunity," Mr. Balakrishnan said in a social media post. The two sides also decided to hold the third India-Singapore ministerial roundtable in New Delhi soon. The External Affairs Ministry said the two sides reviewed progress of the outcomes of Prime Minister Modi's visit as well as the second round of India-Singapore ministerial roundtable. The focus of India-Singapore ties during Modi's visit as well as the ministerial roundtable was to boost cooperation in areas of investments, industrial parks, semiconductors, infrastructure, skill development and connectivity. The Ministry said both sides also exchanged views on ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Indo-Pacific and global developments. 'The External Affairs Minister also met Teo Chee Hean, former senior minister and coordinating minister for national security and chairman-designate of Temasek Holdings,' it said. 'Their discussion focused on transformation underway in India and opportunities for Temasek to expand its investments in India,' the Ministry said in a statement. Mr. Jaishankar's visit is part of continued high-level exchanges between two countries and reflects the importance India attaches to its relations with Singapore, it added.


Mint
22 minutes ago
- Mint
EAM S Jaishankar lands in Beijing today, first visit in 5 years; set to meet Chinese counterpart Wang Yi
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will arrive in Beijing today. This would be Jaishankar's first visit to China after the ties between the two neighbouring countries came under severe strain following the 2020 military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Jaishankar will participate in a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers on July 14-15. Before travelling to Tianjin for the SCO meeting, Jaishankar is expected to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. The two leaders are expected to discuss a range of issues, including rare earth supplies to India, the Dalai Lama's succession, the recent India-Pakistan tensions, and the resumption of direct flights between the two countries. In the last few months, India and China have initiated a number of measures to repair the bilateral ties after completing the disengagement of troops from the last of the two face-off sites in October last year. Jaishankar's visit comes less than three weeks after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh travelled to the Chinese port city of Qingdao to participate in the SCO defence ministers' conference. The meeting was unable to issue a communique, as India refused to endorse the draft without referring to the Pahalgam terror attack. The SCO is a China-led multilateral group comprising nine permanent members, including India and Pakistan. China is the current chair of the SCO, and it is hosting the meetings of the grouping in that capacity. In December, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visited Beijing and held the Special Representatives (SR) dialogue on the boundary question with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang. Doval visited China last month as well for a meeting of top security officials of the SCO member nations. China is the current chair of the SCO, and it is hosting the meetings of the grouping in that capacity. In a statement on the SCO meeting, the Chinese foreign ministry mentioned that Jaishankar 'will also pay a visit to China.' 'The Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States will be held in Tianjin on July 15. At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, foreign ministers of other SCO member states and heads of SCO's permanent bodies will attend the meeting… In addition to attending the meeting, India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will also pay a visit to China,' the statement quoting a government spokesperson said. The succession of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is a thorn in China-India relations, the Chinese embassy in New Delhi said on Sunday, ahead of Jaishankar's China visit. In a message posted on X on Sunday, Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India Yu King said that the Indian government has made political commitments to China. 'It recognizes that Xizang Autonomous Region is part of the territory of the People's Republic of China and India does not allow Tibetans to engage in political activities against China in India,' she added. Jaishankar's visit comes as India and China work to repair bilateral ties after years of tension. Before heading to China, Jaishankar held a series of extensive high-level interactions during his visit to Singapore on July 13, underscoring the importance India attaches to its ties with the country, the MEA highlighted in an official statement on Sunday. During the visit, he called on the President of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam and held meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, the ministry said.