Members of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s Parliament, are selected via a combination of elections and nominations. The majority number of its members, reaching 238, are indirectly chosen by the chosen representatives of the State Legislative Assemblies and, in the case of Union Territories, by members of specifically established electoral colleges. This election uses a system of proportional representation through the single transferable vote, in which votes are weighted according to the state’s population and MLAs prioritize candidates based on their preferences. To maintain continuity, one-third of the members step down every two years, and elections are held to fill the openings.
Moreover, 12 members are nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India. The selected nominees are recognized for their unique insights or hands-on experience in areas like art, literature, science, and community service, contributing varied skills to the legislative process.
According to regulations, the President of India appoints 12 individuals to the Rajya Sabha, four seats out of which, that were empty, have now been occupied.
On Sunday (July 13, 2025), President of India, Droupadi Murmu appointed former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Special Public Prosecutor for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case Ujjwal Nikam, Kerala BJP leader C. Sadanandan Master, and historian Meenakshi Jain from Delhi to the Rajya Sabha.
The Union Home Ministry announced the nomination, which read 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 the Council of States the following persons to fill the vacancies caused due to retirement of nominated members — Shri Ujjwal Deorao Nikam, Shri C. Sadanandan Master, Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Dr. Meenakshi Jain.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his support for the nominations by sharing individual messages for each of the four nominees.
Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla Ji has excelled as a diplomat, intellectual and strategic thinker. Over the years, he’s made key contributions to India’s foreign policy and also contributed to our G20 Presidency. Glad that he’s been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President of India.…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2025
Mr. Shringla joined the BJP after leaving his position and took on the role of Chief Coordinator for the G20 summit in New Delhi in 2023, with Prime Minister Modi commending his efforts as a diplomat. Interestingly, one of his predecessors is the present External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Shri Ujjwal Nikam’s devotion to the legal field and to our 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…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2025
Mr. Nikam was the BJP’s candidate for the Mumbai North Central constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which he did not win.
Describing Mr. Nikam’s contributions to the legal realm and the Constitution as “exemplary,” Prime Minister Modi remarked that he has been a leader in pursuing justice in significant cases.
Historian Meenakshi Jain, a previous recipient of the Padma Shri, was also listed among the nominees. She worked as a scholar at Delhi University and wrote multiple books on Indian history, the nation’s civilization, and native education and languages under British rule.
It’s a matter of immense joy that Dr. Meenakshi Jain Ji has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by Rashtrapati Ji. She has distinguished herself as a scholar, researcher and historian. Her work in the fields of education, literature, history and political science have enriched…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2025
Mr. Sadanandan Master, a previous educator whose legs were severed in 1994 by political adversaries upset about his affiliation with the RSS despite his Left background, was the BJP candidate from the Koothuparamba Assembly constituency and was the fourth nominee. Kerala’s assembly elections are scheduled for early next year, making this nomination particularly intriguing.
Q. Who is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
The Vice President of India is the ex-officio chairman of Rajya Sabha. Currently Jagdeep Dhankhar, the Vice president of India, is the chairman of Rajya Sabha.
Q. How many seats are there in Rajya Sabha?
The Rajya Sabha or the Upper House, has a maximum capacity of 250 seats. Currently, the Rajya Sabha has a total of 245 members. These include 233 members representing the states and union territories, and 12 members nominated by the President.
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