From IIT to Politics: Scientist Rani Devi steps into politics with vision for Haryana

CHANDIGARH: In a powerful blend of scholarship, service, and political legacy, Professor Rani Devi Rawat, a distinguished environmental scientist and academician, has formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), marking a significant turn in her illustrious career. Her induction was ceremonially led by Haryana BJP President Pandit Mohan Lal Badoli, who welcomed her into the party fold with the traditional saffron scarf.Rani Devi is no ordinary entrant into politics. At 50, she comes with an enviable academic record and decades of professional excellence. A PhD scholar from IIT Delhi (1999–2005), she has served as Dean of the Faculty of Science and Professor at the Department of Energy and Environmental Sciences, Chaudhary Devi Lal University (CDLU), Sirsa. Her expertise and contributions have taken her far beyond Indian borders—whether as a Visiting Faculty under the UNDP in Ethiopia, a European Commission Fellow at Technical University Eindhoven, Netherlands, or as a British Council Young Scientist awardee in 2009. Recognized globally, she was also listed among the IBC Top 100 Scientists in 2012 by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge.Her journey from academia to politics is not a sudden leap but a thoughtful transition. Married into an illustrious political family in Palwal district, she carries the formidable legacy of her father-in-law, the late Chaudhary Bhagwan Sahay Rawat, a two-time MLA from Hathin. Her husband, a senior officer in Haryana’s food supply department, and her role as mother of two, further ground her in the realities of governance, administration, and social responsibility.Speaking at her induction, Rani Devi expressed her admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, particularly in the sphere of women empowerment. “Schemes like Lado Lakshmi are not just policies; they are instruments of social transformation. As India embraces 33% reservation for women in legislatures, it is time for more women leaders with strong academic and professional backgrounds to step forward. I want to dedicate my knowledge, experience, and energy to serve the people of Haryana,” she said.Rani Devi has also announced plans to organize a mass membership drive in the Rawat Pal area, aiming to mobilize large-scale public participation in the BJP’s vision for Haryana.Her entry carries both symbolic and strategic weight. Symbolic, because she represents the growing space for women and academicians in the politics of Haryana, a state once notorious for skewed sex-ratio. Strategic, because Hathin has long been a battleground constituency where her father-in-law’s name still commands respect.