Sudha Murty picked for Rajya Sabha, PM Modi underlines ‘nari shakti’

Murty is the wife of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. Their daughter, Akshata, is married to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Thanking the PM, Murty posted on ‘X’: “It is my privilege and honour to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha… I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve our nation.”

A PTI report quoted her as saying that she had “absolutely no idea” why the government chose to nominate her. “It came on Women’s Day and that’s a double surprise. I am very happy. I am grateful to our Prime Minister,” Murty, who is currently on a visit to Thailand, told PTI over phone.

On her role as a member of the Upper House, she told PTI: “I have to see what are the things… what I can do. This is a new area to me. So, I have to first sit and study and then I will be able to do it.”

The timing of the nomination, on International Women’s Day, and Modi underlining “nari shakti” (women power) is significant given that the BJP is on an overdrive to woo women voters ahead of the 2024 polls.

The party has not only announced various schemes targeting women, but has consistently emphasised its focus on welfare and protection of women in various legislation – from Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (women’s reservation Bill) to Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (to replace the IPC) where the government claimed it had pushed up sections dealing with crime against women.

While women contingents have been showcased at recent Republic Day parades, the government has also announced an all-women Sainik School in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh.

Vice President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar, also congratulated Murty. “On this great day, comes a soothing news, more soothing to be the Chairman of Rajya Sabha. Dr Sudha Murthy, an illustrious woman dedicated to social progress and committed to development of vulnerable sections of society, has been nominated to Rajya Sabha by President of India,” Dhankhar said in a post on ‘X’.

Murty, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan last year, is an educator, author and philanthropist. She did her BEng in electrical and electronics engineering from the BVB College of Engineering & Technology (now known as KLE Technological University), and MEng in computer science from the Indian Institute of Science. She was the first woman engineer at Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO).

In 1996, she started the Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Infosys India, supporting programmes in education, rural development, healthcare, arts and culture, and destitute care. She retired as the foundation’s chairperson in December 2021, and is currently the chairperson of the Murty Trust.

Murty, whose father was a surgeon and mother a school teacher, has been a visiting professor at the PG Centre of Bangalore University and taught at Christ University too. She has written many books, including novels, non-fiction, travelogues, technical books and memoirs. Her books have been translated into all major Indian languages. She is also a columnist for English and Kannada newspapers.