Om Birla : Lok Sabha Speaker
Om Birla, who is currently the 18th Speaker of the Lok Sabha of India and a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Kota Bundi parliamentary constituency in Rajasthan in 2008. He was born on December 4, 1962, in Kota, Rajasthan. He received his early education at the Government Commerce College in Kota and graduated with a degree in Commerce from Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati University in Ajmer. He married Amita Birla, an Indian Civil Service officer, in 1991. As an MLA and MP, he also spearheaded numerous social welfare programs, including distributing clothes and books to vulnerable sections of society, organizing blood camps, free food programs for the poor, and a drug bank that provides free medicines. Om Birla began his political career with the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and was elected to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Kota South in 2003, 2008, and 2013. He also became the Lok Sabha MP from Kota Bundi for the first time in 2014. He subsequently won the same seat in 2019 and 2024 by winning with a landslide victory. Birla has been a three-time MP from the Kota Lok Sabha constituency. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in the 16th, 17th, and 18th Lok Sabhas as a BJP candidate from the Kota constituency. In the 16th Lok Sabha, he was a member of the Standing Committee on Energy and the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. On June 19, 2019, Birla was elected Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha following a motion by Prime Minister Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He won the 2024 Lok Sabha Speaker election as the NDA candidate, subsequently becoming the Speaker of the Lok Sabha for the second consecutive term in the 18th Lok Sabha.
Utpal Kumar Singh: From Steering Uttarakhand Through COVID-19 to Leading Lok Sabha Administration
Utpal Kumar Singh is a retired officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) belonging to the Uttarakhand cadre. He was born on July 29, 1960, in Malyampur village, Barhat Block, in the Jamui district of Bihar. Currently, he serves as the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in History from the University of Delhi and the Institute of Social Studies. Additionally, he obtained a degree in Public Policy and Management from a university located in The Hague, Netherlands. Utpal Kumar Singh has held numerous significant positions across the Central Government and various State Governments, including that of Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand, and has served in key central roles spanning departments such as Public Works (PWD), Agriculture, and Personnel. Key Achievements Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand: He performed exemplary work as the Chief Secretary of the Government of Uttarakhand, particularly for his public-spirited efforts aimed at making the state—known as ‘Devbhoomi’—free from COVID-19. Mega Events: He played a pivotal role in the management and organization of the Ardh Kumbh Mela held in Haridwar. World Bank Projects: Throughout his career, he was instrumental in managing World Bank-funded projects and formulating policies for various infrastructure development initiatives.