Profile of Shri Ram Niwas Mirdha

Shri Ram Niwas Mirdha served as chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s premier institution of Music, Dance and Drama, in Delhi, until his death from multiple organ failure on 29th January 2010, He led the artistic fraternity and worked concertedly to expanded the horizons of the creative field. It is for the first time that a sitting Chairman of the Akademi has died in harness, leaving his associates and admirers in grief.
Shri Mirdha was born in Jasol village in Barmer district on 24 August 1924 where his father as posted as a police officer. He belongs to Rad (also spelled Rar) family of village Kuchera in Nagaur district of Rajasthan.
Shri Ram Niwas Mirdha served as member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from 1953 to 1967 and as speaker of the assembly from 1957 to 1967. He was as a cabinet minister of the Government of India for several departments during the 1970s and 1980s and became member of the Lok Sabha for Barmer, Rajasthan, from 1991 to 1996.
Shri Ram Niwas Mirdha, who was a Professional Agriculturist, was educated in Allahabad University and Lucknow University in Uttar Pradesh from where he got his M.A., L.L.B. degrees and was also Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva (Switzerland).
He held following positions in the state of Rajasthan and at the National level:

• Member, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (1953–1967), 
• Minister for Agriculture, Irrigation and Transport, Government of Rajasthan (1954–1957), 
• Speaker, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (1957–1967), 
• Member Rajya Sabha 1967, 
• Union Minister of State – Home Affairs, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (June 1970–October 1974), 
• Union Minister of State – Defence Production (October 1974 – December 1975, 
• Union Minister of State – Supply and Rehabilitation (Independent Charge) (December 1975 – March 1977), 
• Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha (1977–1980), 
• Minister of Water Resources Department (January 1983–August 1984), 
• Minister of External Affairs (August 1984–December 1984), 
• Minister of Communication January (1985-October 1986), 
• Minister of Textiles (Cabinet Rank), with additional charge of Health and Family Welfare (October 1986–December 1989), 
• Member tenth Lok Sabha from Barmer, Rajasthan (1991–1996), 
• Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee to inquire into irregularities in Securities and Banking Transactions 1992, 
• Shri Ram Niwas Mirdha represented in the following international events:
• Represented India at United Nations, Commonwealth Parliamentary Conferences, 
• Commonwealth Prime Minister's Conference, 
• Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers, Inter Parliamentary Unions, 
• Leader Indian Delegation to United Nations, General Assembly, September 1984, 
• Member executive Board of UNESCO (1993–1997) 

He has been active in matters of cultural from very beginning.

• He was Chairman Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi for two terms (1976–1980) and (1990–1995), 
• National Institute of Sports, Delhi Urban Arts Commission, Deputy Chairman Special Organizing Committee for IX Asian Games, and President, Youth Hostel Association of India, 
• He also worked as Co-Chairman of the Indo-US Sub-commission on Culture and Education and has been a member of the executive Board of UNESCO and founder President of Indian Heritage Society, an active organization concerned with cultural and environment issues. 
• He is also a trustee of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). 
• President, Indian Heritage Society, 
• Senior Vice-President, Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies. 
• Hony. President World Federation on U N Associations, 
• President, Indian Federation of U N association, 
• President, Indian Society of International Law, 
• Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi (National Akademi of Music, Dance and Drama), 
• President Surajmal Memorial Education Society, New Delhi.