Tiruchi N. Siva is a member of the Parliament of India representing Tamil Nadu in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament. He is from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party, and was elected in 1996, 2002, 2007, 2014 and 2020. He is a speaker and a writer.

Career

As a student, he was imprisoned for one year under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency of 1976. In 1978 he was an organizer for the DMK District Student’s Wing. Between 1982 and 1992 he served as the Deputy Secretary of the DMK Youth Wing and later serving as the Secretary of the same between 1992 and 2007. He was the Propaganda Secretary and the Deputy General Secretary of the DMK.

He has written articles in the Party’s official organ Murasoli and other magazines.

In Parliament

Historic Private Member Bill to Protect Rights of Transgenders

On 24 April 2015, Siva introduced a private member's bill, the Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014, and after discussion the Bill was put on a voice vote and was unanimously passed by the Rajya Sabha. This was the first Private member's bill to be passed by any house in 36 years and by the Upper House in 45 Years. The Bill was passed with the intent to help transgender people get benefits, making it that they are not denied enrollment in schools or denied jobs in the government as well as protected from sexual harassment.

Fourth Term in Parliament (2014-2020)

On Women's Day 8 March 2018, Siva asked the Government to exempt sanitary napkins from GST net.

Raising a Special Mention in Rajya Sabha on NEET Exams, he raised the concern that the two bills passed unanimously by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly which was sent for Presidential Assent was still pending with the Ministry of Home and Health which is a bad situation for the Federal Set Up of the Country.

Participating in the Debate on Passage of Citizenship Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha on 11 Dec 2019, he strongly opposed the bill, raising several questions including why Minorities from Sri Lanka were excluded and why the Bill targets only Muslims which has created a sense of apprehension amongst the Muslims in India.

On 10 December 2019, he was awarded the Best Parliamentarian of the Year (Rajya Sabha) at the Lokmat Parliamentary Awards - 2019.Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu presented the award for his exemplary contribution to Rajya Sabha.

Fifth Term in Parliament

On 2 March 2020, he was re-nominated to Rajya Sabha by the DMK President M. K. Stalin. On 18 March 2020, Mr.Siva became the first DMK MP to serve a fourth term in Rajya Sabha.

Other Prominent Posts

He has also served as a member of the Court of the Jawaharlal Nehru University from September 2009 to May 2012 and was the Vice-President of the Parliamentary Forum on Artisans and Craftspeople from April 2013 to July 2013.

Membership in Various Committees in his Five Terms

Date / PeriodPosition / Role
April 2026Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (fifth term) Member, General Purposes Committee (Nov. 2025 – April 2026) President, India–Bahrain Parliamentary Friendship Group (Feb. 2026 – April 2026)
July 2022Nominated to Panel of Vice-Chairpersons, Rajya Sabha (July 2022; renominated Dec. 2022 & Nov. 2025) Chairman, Committee on Industry (Sept. 2022 – June 2024; Sept. 2024 – April 2026) Member, Committee on Petitions (Nov. 2022 – Oct. 2024)
April 2020Elected to Rajya Sabha (fourth term) Chairman, Committee on Information and Communication Technology Management (Nov. 2019 – Jan. 2023) Member, Committee on Ethics (Oct. 2019 – April 2020; July 2020 – April 2026) Member, Committee on Subordinate Legislation (Oct. 2019 – April 2020; July 2020 – Nov. 2022; Oct. 2024 – April 2026) Member, Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture (Sept. 2019 – April 2020; July 2020 – Sept. 2022) Member, Ad-hoc Committee on pornography on social media (Dec. 2019 – Feb. 2020)
Oct. 2024Member, Consultative Committee for Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (Oct. 2024 – April 2026) Member, Committee on Public Accounts (Aug. 2024 – April 2026)
May 2023Member, Committee on Public Accounts (May 2023 – April 2024)
Dec. 2021Member, Joint Committee on Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Dec. 2021 – Aug. 2022)
April 2014Elected to Rajya Sabha (third term) Member, Committee on Human Resource Development (Sept. 2014 – Sept. 2016) Member, Select Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems Bill, 2014 (Dec. 2014 – Feb. 2015) Member, Select Committee on Coal Mines Bill, 2015 (March 2015) Member, Select Committee on Prevention of Corruption Bill, 2013 (Dec. 2015 – Aug. 2016) Member, Select Committee on Enemy Property Bill, 2016 (March – May 2016) Member, Committee on Rules (Oct. 2016 – May 2019) Member, Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice (Sept. 2016 – Feb. 2018)
July 2018Member, Select Committee on Ancient Monuments Bill, 2018 (July 2018 – Feb. 2019)
Feb. 2018Member, Committee on Industry (Feb. 2018 – May 2019)
Dec. 2018Member, Committee on Provision of Computers to Members of Rajya Sabha (Dec. 2018 – Oct. 2019)
Nov. 2012Nominated to Panel of Vice-Chairmen, Rajya Sabha Member, Select Committee on Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011 (June – Nov. 2012)
March 2011Member, JPC on telecom licences and spectrum (March 2011 – July 2013)
Aug. 2010Chairman, Committee on Industry (Aug. 2010 – July 2013) Member, Committee on Ethics (Sept. 2010 – July 2013) Member, Committee on Home Affairs (Aug. 2010 – Aug. 2011)
July 2010Member, Consultative Committee for Ministry of Civil Aviation (July 2010 – July 2013)
May 2010Member, Public Accounts Committee (May 2010 – May 2011)
Dec. 2009Member, Select Committee on Commercial Division of High Courts Bill, 2009 (Dec. 2009 – July 2010)
Sept. 2009Member, Court of Jawaharlal Nehru University (Sept. 2009 – May 2012) Member, Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice (Aug. 2009 – Aug. 2010)
May 2008Member, Committee of Privileges (May 2008 – Sept. 2010) Member, Committee on Home Affairs (May 2008 – May 2009) Member, Committee on Subordinate Legislation (May 2008 – Sept. 2009) Member, Committee on Welfare of SC/ST (May 2008 – May 2009; May 2016 – May 2019)
June 2008Member, General Purposes Committee (June 2008 – July 2013; Aug. 2014 onwards)
Aug. 2007Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (second term) Member, Consultative Committee for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways (Aug. 2007 – May 2009) Member, Spices Board (Aug. 2007 – Aug. 2010) Member, Committee on Water Resources (Aug. 2007 – May 2008)
Jan. 2000Elected to Rajya Sabha (first term) Member, Committee on Communications (Jan. 2000 – April 2002) Member, Committee on Public Undertakings Member, Committee on External Affairs Member, Select Committee on Women’s Reservation Bill
1996Member, Eleventh Lok Sabha

Others

Countries visited

  • Gulf countries, under the chairmanship of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister of India
  • Australia, to attend the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference
  • United States of America, to attend the United Nations General Assembly (2008, 2024)
  • Mauritius, with delegation led by Smt. Meira Kumar, former Speaker of Lok Sabha
  • Czech Republic, Croatia and Slovenia, with delegation led by Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari, former Vice-President of India
  • South Africa, with delegation led by Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal, former Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
  • Bahrain, to attend Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (March 2023)
  • Latin American countries, with delegation led by Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, former Vice-President of India
  • China
  • France
  • Spain
  • Germany
  • Singapore
  • United Arab Emirates

List of Positions Held

Rajya Sabha

PositionPartyConstituencyFromToTenure
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (1st Term)DMKTamil Nadu14 Jan 20002 April 20022 years, 78 days
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (2nd Term)25 July 200724 July 20135 years, 364 days
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (3rd Term)3 April 20142 April 20205 years, 365 days
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (4th Term)3 April 20202 April 20265 years, 364 days
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (5th Term)3 April 20262 April 20325 years, 365 days

Works published

(in Tamil)

  • Kutravaali Koondil Socrates
  • Thalainagiril Tamilan Kural
  • Manaiviyidam Pesungal
  • Speak To Your Wife Please
  • Ethirpaaratha Thiruppam
  • Kelungal! sollkiren...
  • Murasoliyin Madiyil Thavazhnthavai
  • Medaiyenum Vaseegaram
  • Good Morning
  • Menagavin Nambikkai

External links