Ram Niwas Mirdha


Ram Niwas Mirdha was an Indian politician from Rajasthan. He served as member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from 1953 to 1967 and as speaker of the assembly from 1957 to 1967. Mirdha was as a cabinet minister of the Government of India for several departments during the 1970s and 1980s and became of member of the Lok Sabha for Barmer, Rajasthan, from 1991 to 1996. He was a member of the executive board of UNESCO from 1993 to 1997. He served as chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi until his death from multiple organ failure.

Family

Ram Niwas Mirdha was born on 24 August 1924 in Jasol village, Barmer district, Rajasthan, where his father, Baldev Ram Mirdha, had been posted as a police officer. Mirdha married Indira Mirdha and the couple had two sons and one daughter. One of his sons is Harendra Mirdha, who has been a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly and was Minister for the Public Works Department in the Government of Rajasthan between 1998–2004.

Education

Mirdha was educated at Allahabad University, Lucknow University, both in India, and at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. He was awarded M.A. and LL.B. degrees and was a professional agriculturist.

Official positions

Mirdha held various official positions in the state of Rajasthan and at national level:
Ram Niwas Mirdha represented in the following international events:
He was chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, during 1976–1980 and 1990–1995, and was also involved with the National Institute of Sports and the Delhi Urban Arts Commission, He was deputy chairman of the Special Organizing Committee for the 9th Asian Games and president of the Youth Hostel Association of India.
Mirdha acted as co-chairman of the Indo-US Sub-commission on Culture and Education and was a member of the Executive Board of UNESCO and founder-president of Indian Heritage Society. In addition, he was a trustee of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.

Heading institutes at the time death