The first woman Rajya Sabha member from Nagaland, S. Phangnon Konyak presided over the House today. Earlier, on July 17, 2023, she created history by becoming the first woman member from Nagaland to be appointed in the panel of Vice Presidents. In a remarkable move to bring gender parity, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar last week nominated four women members (50% of the total strength) to the panel of vice-chairmen.
It is also noteworthy that all the women members nominated in the panel have become MPs for the first time. The reconstituted panel ahead of the monsoon session has a total of eight names, half of whom are women. This is the first time in the history of the Upper House that equal representation has been given to women members in the panel of Vice Speakers.
Women members nominated to the panel of vice presidents last week
P T Usha : He is a Padma Shri awardee and a renowned athlete, He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in July 2022. She is a member of the Defense Committee, Consultative Committee and Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
S. Phangnon Cognac : She is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and is the first woman from Nagaland to be elected as a Rajya Sabha member in April, 2022 and the second woman from the state to be elected to either House of Parliament or the State Legislative Assembly. She is a member of Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Committee on Women Empowerment, Member of House Committee and Governing Council of North-Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Shillong.
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Dr. Fauzia Khan: She belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April, 2020. She is a member of the Committee on Women Empowerment, Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Sulta Dev: She is from Biju Janata Dal and was elected to Rajya Sabha in July, 2022. She is a member of Committee on Industry, Committee on Women Empowerment, Joint Committee on Office of Profit, Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) Committee and Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
