The Vice President of India, ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar has appointed 4 women Parliamentarians namely Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha (PT Usha), Phangnon Konyak, Fauzia Khan and Sulata Deo to the panel of vice-chairpersons.
- The panel of vice chairpersons has been reconstituted with effect from 17th July 2023. The panel reconstituted before the Monsoon Session contains a total of 8 members, out of which half(4) are women.
- For the first time in the history of Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of the Indian Parliament) has given equal representation to women members in the panel.
Note: The Vice Chairpersons conduct the proceedings of the House when the Chairman and Deputy Chairman are not available.
Key Points:
i.Apart from these 4 women members, V Vijaysai Reddy(Andhra Pradesh), Ghanaashyam Tiwari(Rajasthan), Dr L Hanumanthaiah(Karnataka), Sukhendu Sekhar Ray (West Bengal) have also been nominated to the panel.
ii.Phangnon Konyak, Rajya Sabha MP from Nagaland became the first woman from Nagaland to be nominated to the panel of Vice Chairpersons.
- She is also the first woman from Nagaland to be elected as a Member of Rajya Sabha and the 2nd Woman from Nagaland to be elected to either the House of Parliament or the state Assembly.
iii.PT Usha became the first nominated MP in Rajya Sabha to be nominated to the panel of Vice Chairpersons.
Four Women Parliamentarians:
- P.T. Usha:
i.A distinguished athlete and was awarded the Padma Shri in the Sports Field in 1985.
ii.In July 2022, PT Usha became the President nominated member of Rajya Sabha.
iii.She is a member of the Committee on Defence, the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the Committee on Ethics.
- S PhangnonKonyak:
i.She belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
ii.She is a member of Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Committee on Empowerment of Women, House Committee and Member, Governing Council of the North-Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong (Meghalaya).
- Dr.Fauzia Khan:
i.She belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party. She was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra in April, 2020.
ii.She is a member of Committee on Empowerment of Women, Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Law and Justice.
- SulataDeo:
i.She is a member of the Biju Janata Dal. She was elected to Rajya Sabha from Odisha in July, 2022.
ii.She is a member of Committee on Industry, Committee on Empowerment of Women, Joint Committee on Office of Profit, Committee on Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) and Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Additional Info:
The Rajya Sabha Chair has transitioned to a fully digital approach. The Rajya Sabha Chair will now utilise electronic tablets for various aspects related to the conduct of business in the House, attendance in the House, details of Members speaking and other relevant information.
About Rajya Sabha:
i.Rajya Sabha is the Upper House of the Indian Parliament.
ii.According to article 80 of the Indian Constitution, The total allowed capacity is 250 which includes, 238 elected and 12 appointed members.
iii.30 years is the minimum age required to become a member of the Rajya Sabha.
