NEW DELHI, July 13 — President Droupadi Murmu has nominated noted historian Dr Meenakshi Jain to the Rajya Sabha, recognizing her significant contributions to historical research, particularly in the fields of medieval and colonial Indian history.
Dr Jain, a Padma Shri awardee, is known for her rigorous scholarship on cultural and religious developments in India’s past. A former Associate Professor of History at Gargi College, University of Delhi, she has also held research positions at prestigious institutions, including the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, and served on the Governing Council of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
Currently a Senior Fellow at the Indian Council of Social Science Research, Dr Jain has authored several critically acclaimed works that have shaped contemporary historical discourse. Her recent publications include Flight of Deities and Rebirth of Temples (2019), The Battle for Rama: Case of the Temple at Ayodhya (2017), and Sati: Evangelicals, Baptist Missionaries and the Changing Colonial Discourse (2016).
“She has consistently addressed complex and often contentious subjects with academic rigor,” said a senior official at the Ministry of Culture, welcoming her nomination to the Upper House.
Her earlier works, including Rama and Ayodhya (2013) and Parallel Pathways: Essays on Hindu–Muslim Relations (1707–1857) (2010), have contributed to a deeper understanding of India’s socio-religious dynamics during periods of political upheaval. She also co-edited the three-volume series The India They Saw, comprising foreign accounts of India from the 8th to the mid-19th century.
In 2020, the Government of India honored Dr Jain with the Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian awards, for her outstanding contributions to literature and education.
Her entry into Parliament comes at a time when historical narratives and academic interpretations continue to play an increasingly central role in India’s cultural and political dialogue.
