Dr. Najma Heptulla had an outstanding academic career. She received her doctorate in Cardiac Anatomy at the young age of 22. By training she is a scientist and has taught at the university level. She also worked in the scientist's pool of the CSIR, Government of India.

Dr. Heptulla was elected to Rajya Sabha (The Upper House of Indian Parliament) in July 1980. This is her 5th consecutive tenure and 29th year in Parliament. She has the unique distinction of being elected the Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha four times, first in January 1985, the post she held till January 1986, and later in the year 1988, 1992 and 1998 until April 2004. As longest serving Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha, (for about 17 years) she performed the onerous duties of presiding over the Upper House of Indian Parliament. She has also served as the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) (I) and while holding this prestigious position she was editing the publications of AICC and was looking after the publicity of the party.

Dr. Heptulla also unanimously elected as President of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in 1999 in Berlin, a body of 140 Parliaments of the world. She is the first women to hold the position. She is still the honorary life President of the (IPU) Inter Parliamentary Union. Presently, she is Chairperson of Committee on Sub-Ordinate Legislation.

Dr. Heptulla is a prolific writer, India's Progress in Science and Technology –Continuity and Change (1986), Indo-West Asian Relations: The Nehru Era (1991), and Reforms for Women: Future Options (1992), Environment Protection in developing Countries (1993), AIDS "Approaches to Prevention" Democracy "The Global Perspective" (2004) are some of her widely read books written by Dr. Najma Heptulla. Besides she has also been Editing the Indo-Soviet Women's quarterly magazine "Hamari Goshthi" (now known as Dialogue Today). The magazine was started in 1985 with the visit of Mrs. Raisa Gorbacheva. The first women astronaut Ms. Velentina Tereshkova was the editor-in-chief of the Russian edition.

She has contributed a number of scientific and technical papers in prestigious scientific journals published from India and abroad. She also writes on social issues. Her articles and views are often carried by widely read newspapers and important journals. She is a profound social thinker and has espoused the cause of women in India and outside. In 1975 she served on the National Committee for the International Women's Year. She was also the Member of the National Committee on Women constituted in 1988.

Dr. Heptulla has widely traveled and is in touch with prominent world leaders, diplomatic community, social activists in the developing and the developed countries. She has led numerous parliamentary delegations negotiating on the issues of vital importance. She was also entrusted with the task to evolve global consensus to fight the menace of terrorism as special envoy of the Prime Minister. She has been tirelessly working on different International issues for strengthening the relations of India globally.

Dr. Heptulla hails from the prominent family of freedom fighters. She is the grand niece of renowned scholar and eminent freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education Minister of Independent India.