New Delhi: Noted economist and former RBI Governor C Rangarajan and former Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna took oath as members of the Rajya Sabha today.

Vice President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha Hamid Ansari administered the oath to the new members in his chamber in Parliament House at a brief function attended among others by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Rangarajan (76), who resigned last week as the Chairman of the elite Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, will be an Independent member. Krishna (76), a senior member of Congress party was elected to the Upper House in the recent elections.

Rangarajan fills the nominated seat which had fallen vacant in the Upper House after the death of eminent Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande.

A confidante of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rangarajan has been advising the government on various critical issues like special economic zones, oil prices, futures trading and prices of farm commodities. He is also a recipient of Padma Vibhushan, the country s second highest civilian award.
Source : PTI