Najma Heptulla facts for kids

Najma Akbar Ali Heptulla, born on April 13, 1940, is an important Indian politician. She was the head (Chancellor) of Jamia Millia Islamia university from 2017 to 2023. She was a member of the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of India's parliament, for six terms between 1980 and 2016. She also served as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha for sixteen years while she was part of the Indian National Congress party.

Later, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2004. In 2012, she became a vice-president of the BJP. From 2014 to 2016, she was a minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first government. She then served as the 16th Governor of Manipur from 2016 to 2021. Najma Heptulla is a second cousin to famous actor Aamir Khan. She is also the grand niece of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, a very important leader.

Early Life and Family

Najma Heptulla was born on April 13, 1940, in Bhopal, which is now in Madhya Pradesh, India. Her birth name was Sayyida Najma bint Yusuf. Her parents were Sayyid Yusuf bin Ali AlHashmi and Sayyida Fatima bint Mahmood.

She belongs to the Dawoodi Bohra community, which is a group of Ismaili Shia Muslims. Her family has roots in the Arabian peninsula and Gujarat state. She went to Motilal Vigyan Mahavidyalaya (MVM) in Bhopal for her schooling. She earned both a Master of Science (M.Sc.) and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Zoology from Vikram University in Ujjain. Her studies focused on the anatomy of the heart.

In 1966, she married Akbar Ali Akhtar Heptulla. They had three daughters together. Her husband, Akbar Ali Akhtar Heptulla, was a consultant who helped set up the Patriot newspaper in the 1960s. He passed away on September 4, 2007, in New Delhi.

Political Journey

Najma Heptulla started her political career with the Indian National Congress party. She worked her way up, leading different parts of the party's local organizations. In 1986, she was the General Secretary of Congress. She was also in charge of youth activities for the All India Congress Committee and the NSUI.

From 1980, she was elected to the Rajya Sabha four times from Maharashtra. She served as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha from January 1985 to January 1986. She held this important position again from 1988 until July 2004.

Joining the BJP

In 2004, Najma Heptulla joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). News reports suggested she left the Congress party because of disagreements with its president, Sonia Gandhi. She later said she felt disrespected by Sonia Gandhi.

In 2007, the BJP-led alliance chose her as their candidate for the Vice-President of India. However, she lost the election to Hamid Ansari.

Roles in Government

From July 2004 to July 2010, she was a member of the Rajya Sabha for the BJP, representing Rajasthan. In 2012, the BJP nominated her for the Rajya Sabha again, this time from Madhya Pradesh. She took office on April 24, 2012.

She became one of the 13 vice-presidents of the BJP in 2010. When Rajnath Singh became the party president, she was made a member of the party's national executive committee.

From May 26, 2014, to July 12, 2016, Heptulla served as the Minister of Minority Affairs in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. She believed that minority groups in India needed fair opportunities. However, she felt that special reservations were not the best solution because they might reduce healthy competition.

In 2016, she resigned from her minister position and her Rajya Sabha seat. This was because she was chosen to be the Governor of Manipur.

Other Important Roles

Najma Heptulla was chosen to lead the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). This organization promotes India's culture around the world. She also led a group of women parliamentarians for the Inter-Parliamentary Union in 1993. In the same year, she became the first president of the parliamentarians' forum for human development.

She was elected President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in 1999. The IPU is an international organization based in Geneva. She held this position from October 16, 1999, to September 27, 2002. Later, in 2002, she was made the Honorary President of the IPU Council. The United Nations Development Programme also named her as their human development ambassador. In 1997, Heptulla led a group to the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

She has written a book about AIDS called "AIDS: Approaches to Prevention." She has also written about topics like human social security, sustainable development, the environment, women's rights, and the relationship between India and West Asia.

Awards and Honours

State Honours

•  Russia:
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    Recipient of the Order of Friendship (2019)
    Recipient of the Order of Friendship (2019)

Awards

• Recipient of the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for the year 2013