Ex-RBI governor is sworn in to RS

By OUR CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi

Aug. 18: Former Karnataka chief minister S.M. Krishna and C. Rangarajan, noted economist and former RBI governor, took oath as members of Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Vice-president and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari administered the oath to the new members in Parliament House at a brief function attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders.

Rangarajan (76), who resigned last week as the chairman of the elite economic advisory council to the Prime Minister, will be an independent member. He will fill the nominated seat left vacant after the death of eminent Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande.

A Padma Vibushan recipient, C. Rangarajan is a confidante of the Prime Minister and has been advising the government on various critical issues, like special economic zones, oil prices, futures trading and prices of farm commodities. Mr Krishna was elected to the Upper House representing Karnataka in the recent biennial elections.