10 Things To Know About Indian-Origin Mala Adiga, Part Of Joe Biden’s Transition Team

Mala Adiga has been named as a member of Joe Biden's Presidential transition team in November 2020. Biden, who has been elected as the United States’ 46th President has chosen an Indian American, Adiga, as the policy director for the soon-to-be First Lady Jill Biden. President-elect Biden will take the office on 20 January 2021.

Indian-American Mala Adiga appointed as Jill Biden's policy director

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Here are the 10 things you wanted to know about Mala Adiga

1. A lawyer by training, Mala Adiga extensively worked as a senior advisor to Jill Biden and as a senior policy advisor on the 2020 US election campaign.

2. During former President Barack Obama’s administration, Adiga was appointed as the deputy assistant secretary of state for Academic Programs at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

3. She also worked as Chief of Staff in the Secretary of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues and as senior advisor to the Ambassador-at-Large.

Also Read: 10 Things To Know About Dr. Bhavya Lal, Part Of Joe Biden’s Presidential Transition Team

4. She was also the director for human rights on the National Security Staff’s (NSS) Multilateral and Human Rights Directorate.

5. Before joining the NSS, she was an attorney at the Department of Justice, where she served as Counsel to the Associate Attorney General.

6. Adiga belongs to the family of K Suryanarayana Adiga, founder of the former undivided Dakshina Kannada district’s private sector bank, Karnataka Bank Ltd. Her appointment has brought cheer to Kakkunje village in Kundapur taluk of Udupi district, Karnataka. 

Also Read: 10 Things To Know About Indian-Origin Kiran Ahuja, Part Of Joe Biden’s Transition Team

7. Her father Dr. Ramesh Adiga had left India when he was 25 years old. He went to the US to hone his skills as a vascular surgeon. Her mother Jaya Adiga had studied medicine in Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

8. Adiga graduated from Grinnell College with a B.A (Bachelor of Arts) degree in Spanish. She holds the MPH (Master of Public Health) degree from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. She also earned her J D (Juris Doctor) degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

9. She had earlier come to Bengaluru in India with husband Charles and daughter Asha to attend an event. They had come to Kundapur taluk of Udupi district seven years ago and had fallen in love with the beaches there. She had also offered puja at the Kakkunje temple in Udupi district.

10. Adiga is the niece of Nirmala Upadhya who is her father's elder sister. Nirmala told reporters in Kundapur that Mala is an affectionate and lovely girl.

Also Read: Tamil Origin Physician Celine Gounder Part Of Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Task Force

Sagrika Giri is an intern with SheThePeople.TV