Ninong Ering

Ninong Ering (born 3 January 1959) is an Indian politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party. He represented the Arunachal East (Lok Sabha constituency) in Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian Parliament from 2009 to 2019. He was the Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs from 2012 to 2014. He resigned from the Indian National Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 25 February 2024.

Political career Ering was a member of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly representing Pasighat East constituency as an independent candidate from 1990 to 1995. In 1995, he again contested from the same constituency as an independent candidate, but he was defeated by the Congress candidate Tobar Jamoh. From 1999 to 2004 he again became a member of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly representing the same constituency as a Congress candidate. From 1999 to 2002, he was the Minister of State of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and from 2002 to 2004, he was the Deputy Speaker of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly. In 2009, he was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha, where he was a Member of the Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests and a Member of the Consultative Committee, Ministry of Civil Aviation. He was re-elected to 16th Lok Sabha from the same constituency in 2014 and again served as member of the Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests and the Consultative Committee, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The bill triggered a nationwide debate and brought India in the list of countries like Italy, South Korea, Japan where the law existed or was debated. Ering also asked a question on whether the government has any plan to propose menstrual leave at the workplace. In its reply, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said there was no such proposal and also the ministry did not have any plan for a legislation on the issue. The Ministry, however, listed a number of awareness efforts for adolescent girls. Ninong Ering in his interview to The BloombergQuint congratulated his entire team and thanked his PRS Legislative Research LAMP Fellows for working on the bill. This initiative gained a nationwide support and Ninong Ering received applause from a number of women activists organisations.

Criticism of Swami Ramdev On 19 February 2011, Ninong Ering allegedly criticised the anti-corruption drive of Indian religious leader Swami Ramdev and referred to him as a "bloody dog". The Bharatiya Janata Party criticised the remarks, stating that Ramdev was a revered figure and further if Mr. Ering did not consider himself to be Indian then he should excuse himself from the Indian Parliament. The Congress party claimed that it had asked for explanation from Ering on this matter.

Personal life Ering belongs to the Adi tribe and is a member of the Evangelical North Eastern Hill Church Council of Arunachal Pradesh. He has four children, two daughters and two sons, and he is the son of the late Shri Daying Ering and Smt. Odam Ering.