Modi government 3.0: Mansukh Mandaviya takes oath as Union minister

NEW DELHI: BJP's Mansukh Mandaviya, who served as Union health minister during Covid-19, took oath as Union minister on Sunday.

Mandvaiya faced a significant challenge when he took charge of the Union health ministry in 2021 during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the daunting task, the 51-year-old leader spearheaded the implementation of the world's largest Covid-19 vaccination program, resulting in the administration of over 220 crore vaccine doses in the country.

In the recent general election, Mandaviya contested from the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat and emerged victorious by a substantial margin of more than 3.83 lakh votes, marking his first win in a general poll. He was sworn in as a Union cabinet minister on Sunday, having previously served as a two-term Rajya Sabha member, elected in 2012 and 2018.

Mandaviya's educational background includes a postgraduate degree in political science from Bhavnagar University, as well as studies in veterinary science and a PhD from the Gujarat Institute of Development and Research, Ahmedabad. When he became the Union health minister in 2021, he replaced Harsh Vardhan and was simultaneously given charge of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, replacing D V Sadananda Gowda.

(With PTI inputs)

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