Ram Niwas Mirdha

Shri Ram Niwas Mirdha, Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi passed away on 29 January 2010. Born in 1924, he was educated at Allahabad University, Lucknow University, and the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.

Shri Mirdha started his life in public service as a Member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (1953-67). He was Minister for Agriculture, Irrigation and Transport, Government of Rajasthan (1954-57), Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly between 1957 and 1967. He was elected Member of the Rajya Sabha in 1967 and was subsequently Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (1970-1974); Defence Production (1974 -1975); Supply and Rehabilitation (1975 – 1977); and Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha (1977 – 1980). He served as Minister for Irrigation (1983 – 1984); External Affairs (August - December 1984); Communication (1985 – 1986); and Textiles (1986 - 1989), with additional charge for Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. He was a Member of the 10th Lok Sabha from Barmer in Rajasthan (1991-1996), and chaired the Joint Parliamentary Committee to enquire into irregularities in Securities and Banking Transactions, 1992.

Shri Mirdha represented India at the United Nations, Commonwealth Parliamentary Conferences, the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference, the Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. He was Leader of the Indian Delegation to United Nations’ General Assembly in September 1984, and a Member of the Executive Board of UNESCO from 1993 to 1997.

Shri Ram Niwas Mirdha had been active in cultural matters all through his career. He was Chairman of the Rajasthan Lalit Akademi for many years and Chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, for two terms (1976-1980 and 1990-1995). He was also connected with the National Institute of Sports and the Delhi Urban Arts Commission. He was Deputy Chairman of the Special Organising Committee for the IXth Asian Games, and President of the Youth Hostel Association of India. He worked as Co-Chairman of the Indo-U.S. Subcommission on Culture and Education and was founder President of Indian Heritage Society, an activist organization concerned with cultural and environment issues. He was also a Trustee of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

In addition to his charge as Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Shri Mirdha was President of the Indian Heritage Society, Senior Vice President of the Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies, Honorary President of the World Federation of U.N. Associations, President of the Indian Federation of UN Associations, and President of the Indian Society of International Law. He was President also of the Maharaja Surajmal Memorial Education Society, New Delhi.