Ambika Soni: Difference between revisions

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{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ambika Soni
| name               = Ambika Soni
| image=Ambika Soni.jpg
| image               = Ambika Soni.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|11|13|df=y}}
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1942|11|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]]<br> (now in [[Pakistan]])
| birth_place         = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]]<br> (now in [[Pakistan]])
| death_date =
| death_date         =  
| death_place =
| death_place         =  
| office5 = [[Minister of Information and Broadcasting]] <br /> [[Government of India]]
| residence          = [[New Delhi]]
| predecessor5 = [[Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi]]
| party              = [[Indian National Congress]]
| successor5 = [[Manish Tewari]]
| spouse              = Uday C. Soni
| primeminister5 = [[Manmohan Singh]]
| children            = 1
|residence = [[New Delhi]]
| alma_mater          = [[Indraprastha College]], [[University of Delhi]] <br /> [[University of Havana]] <br /> [[Alliance Francaise]] <br /> [[Welham Girls School]]
| term5 = 22 May 2009 – 27 October 2012
| office1            = [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha]] <br/> from [[Punjab, India]]
|office = [[Member of Parliament (India)|Member of Parliament]] ([[Rajya Sabha]]) for<br /> [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| term1              = March 1976 - March 1982 <br/> January 2000 - June 2004 <br/> July 2004 - July 2022
|term_start1 = 1996
| office2            = [[Minister of Information and Broadcasting]] <br /> [[Government of India]]
|term_end1 =
| term_start2        = 22 May 2009
| office6 = [[Ministry of Tourism (India)|Minister of Tourism]] and [[Ministry of Culture (India)|Culture]]
| term_end2          = 27 October 2012
|term_start6 = 29 January 2006
| predecessor2        = [[Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi]]
|term_end6 = 22 May 2009
| successor2          = [[Manish Tewari]]
| predecessor6 = [[Renuka Chowdhury]]
| primeminister2      = [[Manmohan Singh]]
| primeminister6 = [[Manmohan Singh]]
| office3            = [[Ministry of Tourism (India)|Minister of Tourism]] and [[Ministry of Culture (India)|Culture]] <br /> [[Government of India]]
| successor6 = [[Kumari Selja]]
| term_start3        = 29 January 2006
| office7 = President of <br /> [[All India Mahila Congress]]
| term_end3          = 22 May 2009
|term_start7 = 1998
| predecessor3        = [[Renuka Chowdhury]]
|term_end7 = 1999
| successor3          = [[Kumari Selja]]
|president7 = [[Sonia Gandhi]]
| primeminister3      = [[Manmohan Singh]]
| office8 =  President of <br /> [[Indian Youth Congress]]
| office4            = President of <br /> [[All India Mahila Congress]]
|term_start8 = 1975
| term_start4        = 1998
|term_end8 = 1977
| term_end4          = 1999
| office9 = General Secretary of <br /> [[All India Congress Committee]]
| office5            = President of <br /> [[Indian Youth Congress]]
|term_start9 = 1999
| term_start5        = 1975
|term_end9 = 2020
| term_end5          = 1977
|president9 = [[Rahul Gandhi]] <br>[[Sonia Gandhi]]
| office6            = General Secretary of <br /> [[All India Congress Committee]]
| office10 =  Member of <br /> [[Congress Working Committee]]
| term_start6        = 1999
|term_start10 = 1999
| term_end6          = 2020
|term_end10 =  
| office7            = Member of <br /> [[Congress Working Committee]]
| party = [[Indian National Congress]]
| term_start7        = 1999
| spouse = Uday C. Soni
| term_end7          =  
| children = 1
| Occupation = Political and Social Worker
| alma_mater = [[Indraprastha College]], [[University of Delhi]] <br /> [[University of Havana]] <br /> [[Alliance Francaise]] <br /> [[Welham Girls School]]
}}
}}
'''Ambika Soni''' (born 13 November 1942) is an Indian politician belonging to [[Indian National Congress]]. She had served as [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Minister of Information and Broadcasting]]. She is a [[Member of Parliament]] representing the state of [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]] in the [[Rajya Sabha]].
'''Ambika Soni''' (born 13 November 1942) is an Indian politician belonging to [[Indian National Congress]]. She had served as [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Minister of Information and Broadcasting]]. She is a [[Member of Parliament]] representing the state of [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]] in the [[Rajya Sabha]].


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Born in Lahore in undivided [[British India|Punjab]] to Nakul Sen Wadhwa, an [[Indian Civil Service]] officer and [[List of Governors of Goa|Lt. Governor of Goa]]  in 1942.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/an-affair-to-remember/article1-485227.aspx|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150402090004/http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/an-affair-to-remember/article1-485227.aspx|url-status = dead|archive-date = 2 April 2015|title = An affair to remember|last = Chadha|first = Kumkum|date = 11 December 2009}}</ref> Ambika studied at [[Welham Girls School]], Dehradun and did her M.A. (Hons.) from [[Indraprastha College]], [[Delhi University]], followed by Diploma Superiore en Langue Francaise from [[Alliance Francaise]], Bangkok and Post-Graduate Diploma in Spanish Art and Literature from [[University of Havana]], [[Cuba]]. She got married in 1961 to Uday Soni, an [[Indian Foreign Service]] officer.
Born in Lahore in undivided [[British India|Punjab]] to Nakul Sen Wadhwa, an [[Indian Civil Service]] officer and [[List of Governors of Goa|Lt. Governor of Goa]]  in 1942<ref name=":0" />. Ambika studied at [[Welham Girls School]], Dehradun and did her M.A. (Hons.) from [[Indraprastha College]], [[Delhi University]], followed by Diploma Superiore en Langue Francaise from [[Alliance Francaise]], Bangkok and Post-Graduate Diploma in Spanish Art and Literature from [[University of Havana]], [[Cuba]]. She got married in 1961 to Uday Soni, an [[Indian Foreign Service]] officer.


==Political career==
==Political career==
Ambika Soni began her political career in 1969 when she was co-opted into the Congress Party by Indira Gandhi at the time of the Party split in 1969. Soni was an old family friend of Gandhi from the time when her father was posted as [[District collector]] of [[Amritsar]] during the [[Partition of India]] and worked very closely with [[Jawaharlal Nehru]].<ref name=HT>{{cite news|last=Vohra|first=Pankaj|title=By invitation only- Interview with Ambika Soni|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/InterviewsNews/By-invitation-only/Article1-416081.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228001950/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/InterviewsNews/By-invitation-only/Article1-416081.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 February 2014|access-date=13 October 2012|newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=29 May 2009}}</ref>  In 1975 she was elected president of the [[Indian Youth Congress]] and worked closely with Sanjay Gandhi.<ref name=Kumkum>{{cite news|last=Chadha|first=Kumkum|title=An affair to remember|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/An-affair-to-remember/Article1-485227.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111115040622/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/An-affair-to-remember/Article1-485227.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 November 2011|access-date=13 October 2012|newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=11 December 2009}}</ref> In March 1976 she was elected to Rajya Sabha. In 1998 she became the president of [[All India Mahila Congress]]. From 1999 - 2006 she was General Secretary of [[All India Congress Committee]]. In January 2000 she was again elected to Rajya Sabha and resigned on 10 June 2004. In July 2004 she was again elected to Rajya Sabha. From 29 January 2006 - 22 May 2009 she was Minister of Tourism and Minister of Culture in UPA I government. From 22 May 2009 - 27 October 2012 she was Minister of Information and Broadcasting in UPA II government.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/home/online-channel/top-story/104614-soni-wasnik-sahai-resign-ahead-of-reshuffle.html|access-date=2020-09-09|website=www.dailypioneer.com}}</ref> In July 2010 she was re-elected to Rajya Sabha.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}


==Freedom of Press and Internet==
==== As Member of [[Indian National Congress]] ====
At the International Colloquium on Freedom of Expression and Human Rights organized by the Press Council of India on 28 April 2011, she claimed that "Our media is probably the freest in the world."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121021202115/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/newdelhi/India-has-world-s-freest-media-Soni/Article1-690812.aspx India has world's 'freest' media: Soni], Hindustan Times – 28 April 2011</ref> But the two "Press freedom rankings" speak the contrary. The ''World Press Freedom Index 2012'' by the Reporters Without Borders group ranked India at 131 out of 179 which puts it in the category of "Noticeable problems".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.rsf.org/IMG/CLASSEMENT_2012/CLASSEMENT_ANG.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-05-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507085043/http://en.rsf.org/IMG/CLASSEMENT_2012/CLASSEMENT_ANG.pdf |archive-date=2012-05-07 }}</ref> The ''Global press freedom rankings 2012'' by Freedom House ranked India at 80 out of 197 which puts it in the category of "Partly Free".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-02-24|url=https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/Global%20and%20Regional%20Press%20Freedom%20Rankings.pdf|title=GLOBAL PRESS FREEDOM RANKINGS|access-date=2020-09-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224104339/https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/Global%20and%20Regional%20Press%20Freedom%20Rankings.pdf|archive-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> There are also serious concerns about regulators putting a tight leash on Internet Free Speech.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/technology/28internet.html | title=India Puts Tight Leash on Internet Free Speech | newspaper=The New York Times | date=27 April 2011 | first=Vikas | last=Bajaj | access-date=5 July 2018 }}</ref>
Ambika Soni began her political career in 1969 when she was co-opted into the [[Indian National Congress|Congress]] Party by [[Indira Gandhi]] at the time of the Party split in 1969. Soni was an old family friend of Gandhi from the time when her father was posted as [[District collector]] of [[Amritsar]] during the [[Partition of India]] and worked very closely with [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-05-29 |title=By invitation only |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/by-invitation-only/story-uCttxkiscxI79Efd7wxQjO.html |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>. In 1975 she was elected as the president of the [[Indian Youth Congress]] and worked closely with [[Sanjay Gandhi]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2009-12-11 |title=An affair to remember |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/an-affair-to-remember/story-QZcPH8YoNhkqrd9ytCBKYM.html |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>. In 1998, she became the president of [[All India Mahila Congress]]. From 1999 - 2006 she was General Secretary of [[All India Congress Committee]].
 
==== As [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha]] ====
Following is from the [https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/member_site/Main.aspx official website of Rajya Sabha]
 
====== First Term (March 1976 - March 1982) ======
 
====== Second Term (January 2000 - 10 June 2004) ======
{| class="wikitable"
|Jan. 2000 - Feb. 2004 and Aug. 2004 - Jan. 2006
|Member, Committee on Public Undertakings                            
|-
|Jan. 2000 - Feb. 2004
|Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Civil Aviation
|-
|Feb. 2000 - 2001
|Member, Committee on Defence
|-
|May 2000 - June 2003
|Member, House Committee
|-
|Jan. 2002 - Dec. 2003
|Member, Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture
|-
|Jan. 2003 - Feb. 2004
|Member, Committee on Home Affairs
|}
 
====== Third Term (July 2004 - July 2010) ======
{| class="wikitable"
|Aug. 2004 - Jan. 2006
|Member, Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture
|-
|Oct. 2004 - Jan. 2006
|Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Environment and Forests
|-
|March 2005 - Jan. 2006
|Member, Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
|}
 
====== Fourth Term (July 2010 - July 2016) ======
{| class="wikitable"
|Dec. 2012 - May 2014
|Member, Committee on External Affairs
|-
|Dec. 2012 - May 2014
|Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Defence
|-
|May 2013 - May 2014
|Member, Committee on Public Accounts
|-
|Sept. 2014 - May 2019
|Member, Committee on Defence
|}
 
====== Fifth Term (July 2016 - July 2022) ======
{| class="wikitable"
|July 2018 - Feb. 2019
|Member, Select Committee of Rajya Sabha on the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, 2018
|-
|July 2019 onwards
|Member, Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
|-
|Sept. 2019 onwards
|Member, Committee on Finance
|-
|Oct. 2019 onwards
|Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism
|}
 
==== As [[Cabinet Minister (India)|Cabinet Minister]] ====
{| class="wikitable"
!Date
!Office held
!Additional Info
!Reference
|-
|29 January 2006 - 22 May 2009
|[[Ministry of Tourism (India)|Minister of Tourism]] and [[Ministry of Culture (India)|Minister of Culture]]
|[[First Manmohan Singh ministry]]
|
|-
|22 May 2009 - 27 October 2012
|[[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Minister of Information and Broadcasting]]
|[[Second Manmohan Singh ministry]]
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Soni, Wasnik, Sahai resign ahead of reshuffle |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/soni-wasnik-sahai-resign-ahead-of-reshuffle |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=Free Press Journal |language=en}}</ref>
|}


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}12. [https://www.india.gov.in/my-government/indian-parliament/smt-ambika-soni Ambika Soni. https://www.india.gov.in/my-government/indian-parliament/smt-ambika-soni]
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Ambika Soni}}
{{Commons category|Ambika Soni}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120721005032/http://www.mib.nic.in/ Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Official website]
* [https://www.india.gov.in/my-government/indian-parliament/smt-ambika-soni Profile] at [[National portal of india|National Portal of India]]


{{Cabinet of Manmohan Singh}}
{{Cabinet of Manmohan Singh}}

Latest revision as of 04:51, 4 May 2022


Ambika Soni
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
from Punjab, India
In office
March 1976 - March 1982
January 2000 - June 2004
July 2004 - July 2022
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
Government of India
In office
22 May 2009 – 27 October 2012
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
Preceded byPriya Ranjan Dasmunsi
Succeeded byManish Tewari
Minister of Tourism and Culture
Government of India
In office
29 January 2006 – 22 May 2009
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
Preceded byRenuka Chowdhury
Succeeded byKumari Selja
President of
All India Mahila Congress
In office
1998–1999
President of
Indian Youth Congress
In office
1975–1977
General Secretary of
All India Congress Committee
In office
1999–2020
Member of
Congress Working Committee
Assumed office
1999
Personal details
Born (1942-11-13) 13 November 1942 (age 83)
Lahore, Punjab, British India
(now in Pakistan)
Political partyIndian National Congress
Spouse(s)Uday C. Soni
Children1
ResidenceNew Delhi
Alma materIndraprastha College, University of Delhi
University of Havana
Alliance Francaise
Welham Girls School

Ambika Soni (born 13 November 1942) is an Indian politician belonging to Indian National Congress. She had served as Minister of Information and Broadcasting. She is a Member of Parliament representing the state of Punjab in the Rajya Sabha.

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Born in Lahore in undivided Punjab to Nakul Sen Wadhwa, an Indian Civil Service officer and Lt. Governor of Goa in 1942[1]. Ambika studied at Welham Girls School, Dehradun and did her M.A. (Hons.) from Indraprastha College, Delhi University, followed by Diploma Superiore en Langue Francaise from Alliance Francaise, Bangkok and Post-Graduate Diploma in Spanish Art and Literature from University of Havana, Cuba. She got married in 1961 to Uday Soni, an Indian Foreign Service officer.

Political career[edit | edit source]

As Member of Indian National Congress[edit | edit source]

Ambika Soni began her political career in 1969 when she was co-opted into the Congress Party by Indira Gandhi at the time of the Party split in 1969. Soni was an old family friend of Gandhi from the time when her father was posted as District collector of Amritsar during the Partition of India and worked very closely with Jawaharlal Nehru[2]. In 1975 she was elected as the president of the Indian Youth Congress and worked closely with Sanjay Gandhi[1]. In 1998, she became the president of All India Mahila Congress. From 1999 - 2006 she was General Secretary of All India Congress Committee.

As Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha[edit | edit source]

Following is from the official website of Rajya Sabha

First Term (March 1976 - March 1982)[edit | edit source]
Second Term (January 2000 - 10 June 2004)[edit | edit source]
Jan. 2000 - Feb. 2004 and Aug. 2004 - Jan. 2006 Member, Committee on Public Undertakings                            
Jan. 2000 - Feb. 2004 Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Civil Aviation
Feb. 2000 - 2001 Member, Committee on Defence
May 2000 - June 2003 Member, House Committee
Jan. 2002 - Dec. 2003 Member, Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture
Jan. 2003 - Feb. 2004 Member, Committee on Home Affairs
Third Term (July 2004 - July 2010)[edit | edit source]
Aug. 2004 - Jan. 2006 Member, Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture
Oct. 2004 - Jan. 2006 Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Environment and Forests
March 2005 - Jan. 2006 Member, Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
Fourth Term (July 2010 - July 2016)[edit | edit source]
Dec. 2012 - May 2014 Member, Committee on External Affairs
Dec. 2012 - May 2014 Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Defence
May 2013 - May 2014 Member, Committee on Public Accounts
Sept. 2014 - May 2019 Member, Committee on Defence
Fifth Term (July 2016 - July 2022)[edit | edit source]
July 2018 - Feb. 2019 Member, Select Committee of Rajya Sabha on the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, 2018
July 2019 onwards Member, Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
Sept. 2019 onwards Member, Committee on Finance
Oct. 2019 onwards Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism

As Cabinet Minister[edit | edit source]

Date Office held Additional Info Reference
29 January 2006 - 22 May 2009 Minister of Tourism and Minister of Culture First Manmohan Singh ministry
22 May 2009 - 27 October 2012 Minister of Information and Broadcasting Second Manmohan Singh ministry [3]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "An affair to remember". Hindustan Times. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  2. ↑ "By invitation only". Hindustan Times. 29 May 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  3. ↑ "Soni, Wasnik, Sahai resign ahead of reshuffle". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 3 May 2022.

External links[edit | edit source]

Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ambika_Soni&oldid=307976"
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