Philanthropist and author Sudha Murty takes oath as Rajya Sabha member

Philanthropist and author Sudha Murty on Thursday took oath as the Rajya Sabha member after being nominated by President Droupadi Murmu.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Union Minister Piyush Goyal were also present at the event held in the Parliament.

Sudha Murty’s husband and co-founder of Infosys, N. R. Narayana Murthy was also seen accompanying her at the event.

After her nomination, PM Modi had taken to X to congratulate Murty and said her contributions to diverse fields including social work, philanthropy and education have been immense and inspiring.
“I am delighted that the President of India has nominated Sudha Murty to the Rajya Sabha. Sudha Ji’s contributions to diverse fields including social work, philanthropy and education have been immense and inspiring. Her presence in the Rajya Sabha is a powerful testament to our ‘Nari Shakti’, exemplifying the strength and potential of women in shaping our nation’s destiny,” PM Modi posted on X.

Speaking to media after her nomination Sudha Murthy had said “I’m happy, at the same time I feel I have been given more responsibility. I’ll work my level best. On a personal level, I am happy that I’m getting a bigger platform to work for the poor..”

When asked about whether this could be considered a step into the political arena, Sudha Murty was clear that she did not consider herself a politician.

“I don’t think that I could consider myself as a politician and I’m not a politician. I’m a nominated Rajya Sabha member. My son-in-law’s (UK PM Rishi Sunak) politics is for his country and it is different, and my work is different. I’m a government worker now,” she responded.

The well-known author has contributed to English and Kannada literature and had retired as the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation on December 31, 2021. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2023 for her contributions in the field of social work.

In 2006, she was conferred the Padma Shri.