Who is Phangnon Konyak? The first woman MP from Nagaland to preside over Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha MP S Phangnon Konyak created history by becoming the first woman member from Nagaland to preside over the Upper House on Tuesday, July 25. Last week, Konyak became the first ever woman MP to be appointed to the panel of the vice chairpersons of Rajya Sabha.

Konyak’s rise in Nagaland politics has been remarkable. Notably, in April 2022, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader became the first woman from Nagaland to be elected to Rajya Sabha.

Expressing her gratitude for receiving such recognition, Konyak on Twitter said she felt immensely privileged, humbled, and overwhelmed to preside over the Upper House of the Indian Parliament.

“Happy that it was a productive one with The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2022, having been passed by the House. Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji, women today are being given due respect and space in politics and leadership. My heartfelt gratitude to the most respected Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji, for this opportunity,” she tweeted.

Responding to her message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “A very proud moment.”

S Phangnon Konyak belongs to Nagaland's Dimapur, where she completed her schooling. Konyak pursued a Master's in English Literature from Delhi University's Daulat Ram College. During her college days, she was actively involved in student activism and with social organisations. Later, she joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

She was elected to Rajya Sabha in April last year from Nagaland as a BJP MP. She was nominated by the Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar to the panel of vice-chairpersons last week.

Konyak is a member of the Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture as well as the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Development of the Northern Eastern Region.

She is also a member of the Committee on Empowerment of Women as well as the House Committee, and the Governing Council of the North-Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Shillong.

It is significant to note that the panel of vice chairpersons, for the first time, includes an equal number of male and female members. The other women members appointed to the panel of vice chairpersons include the BJP's PT Usha, NCP's Fauziya Khan, and Sulata Deo of BJD.

The male members of the panel are V Vijaysai Reddy, Ghanshyam Tiwari, L Hanumanthaiah, and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray.