The central government nominated legendary athlete PT Usha, iconic composer Ilaiyaraaja, screenwriter-director V Vijayendra Prasad and philanthropist Veerendra Heggade to the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

All four persons hail from various South Indian states and have received national and global recognition for immense contribution in their respective fields.

Born in a small village in Kozhikode district in Kerala, PT Usha is one of India's most iconic sportspersons. PT Usha has been a role model and inspiration for lakhs of young girls across the country who has dreamt of taking up a career in sports, especially track and field events.

Ilaiyaraaja, born in a Dalit household in a village in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu, is regarded as one of India's greatest music composers. In 2018, he received the Padma Vibhushan. He has also been awarded the Padma Bhushan.

Veerendra Heggade has served as the Dharmadhikari of the Dharmasthala Temple in Karnataka since the tender age of 20. He has been a devoted philanthropist for more than five decades. He has led various transformative initiatives for rural development and the promotion of self-employment.

V Vijayendra Prasad, born in Kovvur in Andhra Pradesh, KV Vijayendra Prasad is one of the country's leading screenwriters and film directors. He has written the story for many prominent Telugu and Hindi movies.His notable works include some of the highest-grossing Indian movies, such as RRR, the Baahubali series, and Bajrangi Bhaijaan.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated all four personalities in separate tweets. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated them.

Taking to twitter, he wrote, “Congratulations to PT Usha Ji, Shri V. Vijayendra Prasad Ji, Shri Veerendra Heggade Ji and Shri Ilaiyaraaja Ji on being nominated to the Rajya Sabha. You have made outstanding contributions in your respective fields and have made the nation proud with your dedication & hard work.”