New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday nominated four members to the Rajya Sabha (also called Upper House) including musician Ilaiyaraaja, track-and-field icon PT Usha, Telugu screenwriter V Vijayendra Prasad, and philanthropist and spiritual leader Veerendra Heggade.
The newly nominated members will serve till July 2028. With the induction of 4 new members, the strength of nominated members in Upper House now reaches to 9. Other 5 nominated members include lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, dancer Sonal Mansingh, politician Ram Shakal, author and columnist Rakesh Sinha, and former CJI Ranjan Gogoi.
How nominated members are selected? What Constitution says
According to the Article 80 of Constitution (Composition of the Council), “The Council of States should consist of 12 members, nominated by the President in accordance with laws and the numbers must not exceed 23 representative of states as well as Union Terriotories.
The Rajya Sabha was constituted in 1952. Till date, more than 142 individuals have been nominated as RS lawmaker and this includes a long list of scholars, jurists, educationists, historians, scientists, litterateurs, journalists, engineers, economists, administrators, artistes, sportspersons, social workers, and politicians.
Why members are nominated to RS?
The provision was mooted & cleared by the Constitution Drafting Committee, over 7 decades ago. N Gopalaswami Ayyangar, who was part of the Constitution Drafting Committee had argued that those don’t canvass at the hustings, but are an asset to the nation because of learning & importance. The reason behind that they will actively contribute to the quality & depth of debate.
Politicisation of the nominated category
Lately, the nomination of representative in the Upper House has got mired in political controversy as Opposition often accuses the ruling party of sending ‘confidantes’ under nominated category to shore up its numbers in the House and not for the purpose for which it was envisaged.
A nominated person need not join any political party after getting nominated to the Upper House and continue in independent capacity.
