Athlete PT Usha, musician Ilaiyaraaja: Know all about Rajya Sabha’s 4 new nominees, their achievements

The four new Rajya Sabha nominees, which were revealed on Wednesday, have all made a big splash in their respective fields. Legendary athlete P.T. Usha, iconic music composer Ilaiyaraaja, noted philanthropist Veerendra Heggade and acclaimed screenwriter-director K.V. Vijayendra Prasad were on Wednesday nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

Though all four of the new Rajya Sabha nominees come from different fields of work, be it sports and athletics or the film and music industry, they have all influenced the country and made a name for themselves through their vast achievements.

Here is all you need to know about the 4 new nominees for Rajya Sabha –

Athlete PT Usha

PT Usha, a celebrated athlete born in a small village in Kozhikode district in Kerala, is one of India’s most iconic sportspersons. She has been a role model and inspiration for lakhs of young girls across the country who has dreamt of taking up a career in sports, especially track and field events.

Music composer Ilaiyaraaja

Born in a Dalit household in a village in Madurai district, Ilaiyaraaja is regarded as one of India’s greatest music composers. During his long career, Ilaiyaraaja had to face innumerable hardships and caste-based discrimination. However, he overcame all such hurdles and emerged as one of the country`s leading music composers.

Philanthropist Veerendra Heggade

Veerendra Heggade has served as the ‘Dharmadhikari’ of the Dharmasthala Temple in Karnataka since the tender age of 20. He has been a devoted philanthropist for more than five decades. He has led various transformative initiatives for rural development and the promotion of self-employment.

Screenwriter K.V. Vijayendra Prasad

Vijayendra Prasad is an acclaimed screenwriter and film director, who has penned the scripts of many prominent Telugu and Hindi movies. His notable works include some of the highest-grossing Indian movies such as ‘RRR’, the ‘Baahubali’ series, and ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’.

Many politicians and noted personalities hailed the nominations of these four to the Rajya Sabha, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu hailing their nominations and expressing their congratulations.

(With IANS inputs)

READ | Kaali poster row: ‘Mistakes can be rectified,’ says Mamata Banerjee on Mahua Moitra’s controversial comments