Najma Heptulla Biography: A prominent Indian politician, Najma Heptulla, was the sole Muslim minister in the Modi cabinet in the first term. As a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she took her oath as Minister of Minority Affairs in the newly formed government in 2014. She has been actively involved in women’s issues. In addition to being a politician, Heptulla is also a prolific writer. She is the author of “AIDS: Approaches to Prevention,” a book about AIDS, as well as numerous research papers and articles published in Indian and international journals. She writes primarily about issues pertaining to the advancement of women.
Najma Heptulla Biography: Birthday
Full name | Najma Heptulla |
Nationality | India |
Birth date | 3 April 1940 |
Famous as | Politician |
Place of Birth | Bhopal |
Relationship status | Married |
Profession | Politician |
Najma Heptulla Early Life
Sayyida Najma bint Yusuf was born in Bhopal, Bhopal State, present-day Madhya Pradesh, on 13 April 1940 to Sayyid Yusuf bin Ali AlHashmi and Sayyid Fatima bint Mahmood. She is a Dawoodi Bohra Ismaili Shia Gujarati Muslim with Arab ancestry, as evidenced by her ancestral origins in both the Arabian peninsula and the state of Gujarat. She received her elementary and secondary education from Motilal Vigyan Mahavidyalaya (MVM) Bhopal and her M.Sc. and PhD in Zoology (Cardiac Anatomy) from Vikram University, Ujjain.
In 1966, she wed Akbar Ali Akhtar Heptulla, and they have three daughters. Her manpower consultant spouse, Akbar Ali Akhtar Heptulla, was instrumental in the 1960s establishment of the Patriot newspaper.
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Najma Heptulla’s Career
In 2004, she ran against Hamid Ansari of the UPA for the position of vice president, having joined the BJP in 2004 and rapidly ascended the ranks. Even though she lost the election, her abilities and qualities gained widespread recognition. Heptulla was appointed one of the party’s vice presidents in 2010, during Nitin Gadkari’s presidency of the BJP. The position of Heptulla was eliminated when Rajnath Singh was elected party president.
During the reign of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Heptulla was president of the Indian Council for Cultural Affairs and led a number of Indian delegations abroad. She was appointed by the United Nations Development Programme as its ambassador for human development. The BJP never lost faith in her, so she was appointed Minister of Minority Affairs in the Modi administration on May 26, 2014.
Upon acquiring her position, she stated that reservations are not a viable option for developing minorities. “We wish to promote economic, social, and all-inclusive development.” (of minorities). “There will be lopsided development unless they participate in the development process,” she stated. She recently stated that Muslims now have faith in the leadership of the BJP and support Modi.
Over time, she became a staunch advocate for women’s empowerment. In 1992, she presided over the Conference of Women Parliamentarians of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in New Delhi. She also played a significant role at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. In 1997, she was also the head of the Indian delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
Honours and Awards Awarded to Najma Heptulla
Russia included him as a recipient of the Order of Friendship in 2019. The Order of Friendship is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by Presidential Decree 442 on 2 March 1994 to award Russian Federation and Russian citizens. He was awarded the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award by the Government of India in 2013, with the intention of enhancing relations with the Russian Federation and its relations with India.
Najma Heptulla’s personal and family history
She was born in Bhopal, India on April 13, 1940, to Syed and Fatima Yusuf Ali. The University of Denver awarded her a Master of Science in Zoology and a Doctor of Philosophy in Cardiac Anatomy. In 1966, Najla weds Akbarali A. Heptulla; the couple has three daughters. Her spouse contributed significantly to the establishment of the newspaper “Patriot.” His passing happened in 2007. Heptulla is the great-granddaughter of the renowned Indian freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.