– Became Member of Committee on Railways 23 September 2009 – Chairperson, Committee on Government Assurances 19 October 2009 – Member, General Purposes Committee 26 May 2014 – Union Minister of Women & Child Development In popular culture Gandhi hosted Maneka's Ark, an environmental talk show which aired on the Indian national public broadcaster Doorarshan's DD National channel in the 1990s. She had earlier hosted Heads & Tails, an animal rights show, on the same channel. Awards Shining World Compassion Award along with a cheque for 20,000 dollars from Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. Lord Erskine Award from the RSPCA, 1992 Environmentalist and Vegetarian of the year 1994 Prani Mitra Award, 1996 Maharana Mewar Foundation Award, 1996 for Environmental work Marchig Animal Welfare and selling Prize, Switzerland, 1997 Venu Menon Animal Allies Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, 1999 Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation Award for Excellence in the sphere of Truth, Non-violence and Vegetarianism, 1999 Dewaliben Charitable Trust Award, 1999 International Women's Association Woman of the Year Award, Chennai, 2001 Dinanath Mangeshkar Aadishakti Puraskar in the field of Environment and animal welfare, 2001 Rukmini Devi Arundale Animal Welfare Award A.S.G. Jayakar award, 2008 Human Achiever Award in field of Women Empowerment and Children Welfare by Mrs Caroline W/O Ambassador Of Namibia and Ms Sanorita Issac, founder & Chairperson, Human Achiever Foundation, India. Books 1000 animal quiz, Calcutta : Rupa and Co., 1989, 201 p. Brahma's hair : the mythology of Indian plants, Calcutta : Rupa and Co., 1991, 175 p. With Yasmin Singh. The Penguin book of Hindu names, London : Penguin Books; New Delhi : Penguin Books India, 1992, 522 p. Latest edition in 2008. Dogs, dogs, dogs, New Delhi : Rupa & Co., 1994, 261 p. With Ozair Husain. Latest edition in 2004. The complete book of Muslim and Parsi names, New Delhi : Indus, 1994, 522 p. With Ozair Husain. Heads and tails, Mapusa, Goa, India : Other India Press, 1994, 182 p. On animal rights and animal rights. The rainbow and other stories, New Delhi : Puffin Books, 1999, 67 p. Children's short stories. The Penguin book of Hindu names for boys, New Delhi : Penguin Books, 2004, 429 p. The Penguin book of Hindu names for girls, New York : Penguin Books, 2004, 151 p. The Rupa book of animal quiz, Rupa & Co., 2004, 201 p. Animal laws of India, New Delhi, India : Universal Law