Ram Niwas Mirdha

Ram Niwas Mirdha (24 August 1924 – 29 January 2010) was an Indian statesman, parliamentarian, and cultural administrator in post-independence India. A veteran member of the Indian National Congress, Mirdha holds the record for being longest serving speaker of the Rajasthan Assembly, from 1957 to 1967. Mirdha later elected to the Rajya Sabha and served several positions including Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, from 1977 to 1980. At the Union level, he served as Minister of State for Home Affairs and Defence, while Cabinet Minister for Communications, Textiles, Health, and Water Resources, during the 1970s and 1980s. Mirdha was popularly nicknamed “Padha Likha Jat”, the educated Jat, because of his distinguished academic background than the contemporary Rajasthani politicians, having studied at Allahabad University and later at the Geneva Graduate Institute.

In addition to his political career, Mirdha held leadership positions in several cultural and academic institutions. He served as chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Lalit Kala Akademi, and the National Institute of Sports, and was associated with organizations such as the Indian Heritage Society and the Youth Hostels Association of India. Internationally, he represented India at the United Nations and UNESCO, and was a member of the UNESCO Executive Board from 1993 to 1997.