Najma Heptulla
Najma Akbar Ali Heptulla (born 13 April 1940) is an Indian politician. She was the Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia from 2017 to 2023, until Mufaddal Saifuddin was elected as new Chancellor on 14 March 2023. She was a six time member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, between 1980 and 2016, and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha for sixteen years when she was a member of Congress. Later she was nominated vice-president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2012, and was a minister from 2014-2016 as a member of BJP in Narendra Modi's first government. From 2016 to 2021, she served as the 16th Governor of Manipur.
Najma Heptulla | |
|---|---|
| 16th Governor of Manipur | |
| In office 24 July 2019 – 10 August 2021 | |
| Chief Minister | Nongthombam Biren Singh |
| Preceded by | Padmanabha Acharya (Addl. Charge) |
| Succeeded by | Ganga Prasad (Addl. Charge) |
| In office 26 June 2018 – 26 June 2019 | |
| Chief Minister | Nongthombam Biren Singh |
| Preceded by | Jagdish Mukhi (Addl. Charge) |
| Succeeded by | Padmanabha Acharya (Addl. Charge) |
| In office 21 August 2016 – 31 May 2018 | |
| Chief Minister | Okram Ibobi Singh Nongthombam Biren Singh |
| Preceded by | V. Shanmuganathan |
| Succeeded by | Jagdish Mukhi (Addl. Charge) |
| 11th Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia | |
| In office 26 May 2017 – 13 March 2023 | |
| Vice Chancellor | Talat Ahmad Najma Akhtar |
| Preceded by | Mohammad Ahmed Zaki |
| Succeeded by | Mufaddal Saifuddin |
| Minister of Minority Affairs | |
| In office 26 May 2014 – 12 July 2016 | |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | K. Rahman Khan |
| Succeeded by | Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi |
| 7th Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 25 January 1985 – 20 January 1986 | |
| Preceded by | Shyamlal Yadav |
| Succeeded by | M. M. Jacob |
| In office 11 November 1988 – 10 June 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Pratibha Patil |
| Succeeded by | K. Rahman Khan |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 3 April 2012 – 20 August 2016 | |
| Constituency | Madhya Pradesh |
| In office 2004–2010 | |
| Constituency | Rajasthan |
| In office 1980–2004 | |
| Constituency | Maharashtra |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 April 1940 Bhopal, Bhopal State, British India |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party (since 2004) |
| Other political affiliations | Indian National Congress (1960s–2004) |
| Spouse |
Akbar Ali Akhtar Heptulla
(m. 1966; died 2007) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Raj Bhavan, Imphal |
| Alma mater | Vikram University |
She is a second cousin to actor Aamir Khan and grand niece of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. She contested the 13th vice-presidential election held in August 2007 but lost to Hamid Ansari by 233 votes. She took oath as a cabinet minister in the Narendra Modi headed government on 26 May 2014 and was replaced by Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in July 2016.