Sudha Murty was supportive of Cervical Cancer Vaccination and Domestic Tourism in her first Rajya Sabha Speech

Sudha Murty, in her first Rajya Sabha speech, advocated for a government-sponsored cervical cancer vaccination program for girls aged 9-14 and urged promotion of 57 domestic tourist sites as World Heritage Sites, emphasizing public health and cultural preservation.

In her inaugural address to the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, noted philanthropist and author Sudha Murty highlighted two crucial issues: including cervical cancer prevention and domestic tourism in India. 

Murty, who was nominated to the Upper House of the Indian Parliament by the President on the eve of International Women’s day, has demanded that vaccination against cervical cancer should be made a government funded program. She recommended that girls between 9 and 14 should be vaccinated and she said, ‘If the girls take that, it can be avoided … I mean, we should encourage vaccination for the benefit of our girls because prevention is better than cure. ”  

Looking at the recent development of COVID-19 vaccination, Murty said that it should be possible to come up with cervical cancer vaccination program. She also opined that the vaccine presently costs around ₹1,400, but the government intervention might reduce the cost to ₹700-800. 

Of the 57 sites in India that Murty suggested should be declared as World Heritage Sites, all of them are intended for domestic tourists. She enumerated others like Bahubali statue at shravanabela gola in Karnataka state, Lingaraja temple at bhubaneswar, Unakoti rock carvings at tripura state and Shivaji forts in Maharashtra state. 

Murty continued, “India currently boasts 42 World Heritage sites, but 57 sites are still awaiting classification … it is high time to think about those 57 sites. ”

The newly appointed Rajya Sabha member also noted that the structure of the old parliament building was brought from Chausath Yogini temple at Mitawali in Madhya Pradesh symbolizing India’s architectural marvel. 

The speech delivered by Murty on this occasion was good and the response by Rajeev Shukla who was in the chair, he asked Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to convey the message given by Murty on cervical cancer vaccination to the health minister. 

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Sudha Murty married to Infosys co-founder Narayana Murty and her son-in-law is UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and her entry into the Rajya Sabha has been keenly observed. These are priorities that she plans on implementing during her term as highlighted in her first speech where she talks about public health and culture.