Ms. Selja Kumari was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India as a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) political party. She was the cabinet minister at the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in the United Progressive Alliance Government during the 15th Lok Sabha. She began her political career in the Mahila Congress becoming its President in 1990. She was elected to the 10th Lok Sabha in 1991 from Sirsa in Haryana and has served 4 terms in the Parliament.
She has served as a Member of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarian Steering Committee; Union Minister of State, Department of Education and Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development; and Union Cabinet Minister, Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Culture. She was also elected Chairperson of the Commonwealth Consultative Group on Human Settlements (CCGHS).
Ms Shelja has a keen interest in the regulation of air quality, abatement of air pollution and pollution norms for industrial units. She has worked on awareness of the implications of global warming. In the parliament, she has raised questions on providing electricity to farmers through renewable energy sources, and initiatives for the promotion of renewable energy sources and power generation through them.
She has extensively worked for empowerment of Women and for upliftment of marginal and disadvantaged groups. Her special interests include contemporary economic and political issues, inclusive growth and environmental concerns in the developing world and habitat and related issues facing the urban poor.
