Mansukh Mandaviya requires more than the Union wellness ministry at a crucial juncture. On the one hand, the government is ramping up its Covid-19 vaccination drive on a different, it is preparing its approach to stave off or limit the influence of an impending third wave of the virus. As the Narendra Modi government embarked on a significant-scale reshuffle of the Union Cabinet, amongst the most substantial exits was that of wellness minister Harsh Vardhan, who was major the charge in India’s battle against Covid-19.
Now, the baton has fallen to the Parliamentarian from Gujarat, a veterinary medical professional with a Masters’ degree in political science. Mandaviya started his work early, even prior to his predecessor had place in his papers. In the previous week, Mandaviya visited the facilities of 3 vaccine-makers — Zydus and Bharat Biotech in Ahmedabad and Serum Institute of India in Pune, albeit in his capacity as the minister of state for chemical compounds and fertiiizers.
Last month, the government announced a course correction, taking more than provide of vaccines from states. Mandaviya will have to make sure that the ramped-up vaccination drive goes smoothly and the government is spared the blushes. With a handful of more vaccines in the pipeline for India, Mandaviya may perhaps come across vaccinating the whole population a lot a lot easier than his predecessor.
Doctors and wellness specialists have currently warned of a third Covid-19 wave in the next handful of months if sufficient precautions had been not taken. Madaviya, who 1st rose to all-India fame for riding his bicycle to Parliament, will have to preside more than that approach as nicely. His extended stint with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) signifies that he has a sound information of performing work on the ground, anything that is anticipated to hold him in fantastic stead.
Among the seven ministers promoted to the Cabinet, Mandaviya became Gujarat’s youngest MLA at 28 years when he entered the Assembly in 2002. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2012 prior to getting re-elected in 2018. He became minister of state for road transport and highways, shipping in 2016 and then chemical and fertilizers. He has also served as chairman of Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation.
Born in a middle-class farmer family in Hanol, a compact village in Saurashtra’s Palitana taluka, Mandaviya is recognized to undertake padyatras, covering extended distances for numerous awareness drives. The 1st padyatra that he organised was as an MLA in 2005, walking 123 km via 45 backward villages to advocate girls’ education. He undertook a different week-extended padyatra in 2017 to market the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi. He has also received a Unicef honour for his contribution to women’s menstrual hygiene. History will judge him on how he manages the fight against a deadly pandemic that has currently taken more than 4 lakh lives.