najma

EDUCATION

Ph.D. (Cardiac Anatomy) 1962.
M.Sc. (Zoology), 1960, First Division, First in the University.

ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS

• Advisor, Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Harvard 1992-96
• Served as a Professor of Zoology
• Fellow Zoological Society, London
• Member, University Courts, Aligarh Muslim University and Jawaharlal Nehru University
• Member of the Advisory Committee and Editorial Board of two Research Journals: The Indian Journal of Zoology and Journal of Anatomy
• Published several research papers in Foreign and Indian Journals. Contributed to many Indian and foreign magazines on issues related to women and social development.

PARLIAMENTARY OFFICES HELD

NATIONAL

• Deputy Chairperson, Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) from January 1985 to January 1986 and since 1988. Re-elected for a six year term in July 1998.
• Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (Upper House) for four consecutive terms, 1980-86, 1986-92, 1992-98 and 1998-2004.
• Chairperson, Committee on Privileges, Rajya Sabha.
• Chairperson, Committee on Provision of Computers, Rajya Sabha.
• Chairperson, Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women.
• Chairperson, Rajya Sabha Committee on Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme.
• Vice-President, Indian Parliamentary Group.
• Member, Committee on Rules, Rajya Sabha.
• Member, General Purposes Committee, Rajya Sabha.

INTERNATIONAL

• Distinguished Human Development Ambassador, nominated by the United Nations Development Programme.

• Member, Standing Committee of the Presiding Officers of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

• Vice-President, Executive Committee, Inter-Parliamentary Union.

• Member, Executive Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

• Member, Coordination Committee of the Presiding Officer's Conference coinciding with the UN General Assembly Session for Millennium 2000.

• "Focal Point" of the IPU for the question relating to status of women.

• Member, IPU-UNAIDS working group on drafting of hand book on AIDS prevention for legislatures.

• Chairperson, Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, IPU.

• Chairperson, Steering Committee of Specialised Conference of the IPU on "Partnership between Men and Women in Politics" held at Delhi, 1997.

• Presided Women Parliamentarians' Group, IPU, 1993.

• Founder President, Parliamentarians' Forum for Human Development since August, 1993.

• Presided Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Women Parliamentarians' Conference, New Delhi, 1992.

• President, Women's Group of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, 1990.

• Vice-Chairperson, Executive Committee, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, 1987 (the first woman ever to hold the office).

WOMENS ISSUES

• Leader of the delegation to the UN Commission on Status of Women, 1997.

• Special invitee, World Women's Forum, Harvard, 1997.

• Special UN invitee from Asia-Pacific Region to attend Nordic Women Parliamentarians' Meet on Population, March, 1994.

• Leader of the Indian Parliamentary delegation to the Special Session of IPU on the occasion of Fourth World Women's Conference, Beijing, 1995.

• Member, National Committee for Women, 1989.

• Delegate to the Asia Pacific Conference on Women, Islamabad, 1984.

• President, Indian Housewives' Federation, an apex national association. Organised several national level meets for identification and redressal of women's problems.

• Member, National Committee for International Women's Year, 1975.

• Member, Maharashtra State Government Committee for the Implementation of the National Plan of Action for Women.

• Member, Maharashtra State Government Committee for the Status of Women.

• Organised over a hundred seminars on the status of women in India.

OTHER IMPORTANT OFFICES HELD

• Member, National Integration Council, Government of India.

• Member, General Body and Executive Committee of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

POLITICAL POSITIONS HELD

f General Secretary, All India Congress Committee (I) 1986-87. Incharge of youth activities of AICC and NSUI, the student wing of the Congress Party.

• Spokesperson, All India Congress Party, 1986-87 and 1998. SOCIAL ORGANISATIONS

• Patron, Indo-Turkish Cultural Association.

• President, Indian Council for Social Marketing.

President, Azad Foundation for Research and Development.

President, Indian Scouts and Guides fellowship.

• President, Institute of Directors, the apex voluntary organisation for Total Quality Management and ISO-9000 Series Certification.

• President, Rasaja Foundation, a voluntary organisation for the promotion of the Art of Modern India.

•'President, Indo-Arab Society.

• President, Maharashtra Parent-Teachers Association.

Founder, Maulana Azad Multipurpose Higher Secondary School, 1962.

• Vice-President, Society for Communal Harmony.

• Vice-Chairperson, Maulana Azad Center for Asian Studies, Ministry of HRD.

• Member, Central Waqf Council, Ministry of Welfare.

• Member, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Trust.

• Member, Board of Trustees, India Islamic Cultural Centre.

• Member, Bombay City Social Education Committee.

• Treasurer, Society for Latin America.

PARLIAMENTARY AND OTHER DELEGATIONS

As Special Envoy of the Prime Minister to

• Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Fiji

Inter Parliamentary Union

• Led. the national delegation or was a Member of the delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Conferences and other specialised meetings held at Geneva, Vienna, Rome, Moscow, Beijing, Istanbul, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Cairo, Paris, New Delhi, Santiago, Nicosia and Punta del Esta.

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

• Led the country delegation or was a Member of the delegation to the meetings of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association held at Cape Town, Nicosia, New Delhi, Harare, Tasmania, Canberra, Port of Spain, Kuala Lumpur, Regenia, Jersey Island, London, Saskatchewan.

United Nations

• Attended several sessions of UNGA and its Committees as the member of Indian delegation.

Other Travels Abroad

• Boston, US to attend World Women's Forum Meet at University of Harvard, 1997.

• Casablanca, Morocco to inaugurate India Expo 1996.

• Ankara, Turkey, on the invitation of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, 1994.

• Singapore, led Indian delegation sponsored by Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation to the Jewellery Exhibition, 1994.

• Istanbul, Turkey, Advisory Board Meeting of Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Harvard, 1994.

• Washington D.C., US, Visiting faculty to Woodrow Wilson Centre, Brookings Institute, Carnagie Foundation, 1993.

• Sophia, Bulgaria, Member of Parliamentary Delegation, 1993.

• Yogyakarta, Indonesia, led the delegation of Fellowship of Former Scouts and Guides, 1993.

• Alexandria, Egypt, on the invitation of the Ministry of Waqf, Government of Egypt, to attend Seminar on Contribution of Islam to Civilization and honoured by President Hosni Mubarak, as one of the 15 selected intellectuals of the world, 1993.

• Moscow, led the Indian Delegation representing the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation to the seminar on Strategic Environment and Disarmament, 1993.

• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the invitation of the Speaker of the Senate in 1989.

• Tashkent, to attend the Women's Meet, 1989.

• Moscow, Delegate to the inaugural Ceremony of Science & Technology Exhibition as part of Indian Festival in USSR, 1987.

• Moscow, Delegate of Indian National Congress to attend 27th CPSU meeting, 1986.

• Cairo, Egypt, Delegate to attend the 4th Ruling National Party Conference on behalf of the Indian National Congress, 1986.

• US & Japan, to attend Science & Technology meetings, 1985.

• Ankara, Turkey, Delegate to attend the celebration of 75th year of the establishment of Parliament of Turkey.

PUBLICATIONS

BOOKS

• AIDS: Approaches to Prevention, 1996.
• Human Social Security and Sustainable Development, 1995.
• Environment Protection in Developing Countries, 1993:
• Reforms for Women: Future Options, 1992.
• Indo-West Asian Relations - The Nehru Era, 1992.
• Editor and Publisher of the International quarterly magazine Dialogue Today, since 1986. • India's Progress in Science 6' Technology: Continuity & Change, 1985.

CLUBS

• Vice-President, Constitution Club, Delhi.
• Life Member, India International Center, Delhi.
• Member, Radio Club, Bombay.
• Member, India Habitat Center, Delhi.
• Member, Delhi Gymkhana.

Date of Birth: April 13, 1940

Married to Mr. Akbarali A. Heptulla, December 7, 1966. Three daughters.

DELHI ADDRESS

Office:             31, Parliament House

                       New Delhi-110 001

                       Telephone: 91-11-3017371 / 3034689 / 3034677

                       Fax: 91-11-3012559

Residence:       4, Akbar Road, New Delhi-110 Oil.

                        Telephone: 91-11-301 6391 / 301 6436

                         Fax: 91-11-301 6436

                          E-mail: najmah@sansad.nic.in

PERMANENT ADDRESS

                                 29, Heptulla Park, 2nd Hasnabad Lane,

                                 Santacruz (West), Mumbai- 400 054, Maharashtra, India.

                                 Telephone: 91-22-649 0104 / 649 0197 Fax: 91-22-649 0104

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES