Mansukh Mandaviya was named the new Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs on Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled his third-term cabinet. Mandaviya replaces Anurag Thakur, who previously held the position.
Mandaviya secured a decisive victory in the 2024 General Elections, winning the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat by defeating his Congress rival Lalit Vasoya with a margin of 3.83 lakh votes. Besides the sports portfolio, Mandaviya will also oversee the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.
Born on June 1, 1972, in Hanol, Gujarat, Mandaviya’s political career began with his involvement in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the BJP’s student wing. He served as the secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Patilana from 1994 to 1996 and was the Taluka president of BJP’s Patilana unit from 1998 to 2003. Mandaviya was a member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly from 2002 to 2007 and later chaired the Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd. from January 2011 to March 2012. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2012 and re-elected in 2018. In 2021, during the COVID-19 crisis, Mandaviya took over the health portfolio, succeeding Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
During the severe second wave of COVID-19, Mandaviya’s ministry was responsible for ramping up the supply of oxygen and medicines and overseeing the vaccination program. In the newly formed government, the health ministry has been assigned to JP Nadda.
Anurag Thakur, who has represented the Hamirpur constituency in Himachal Pradesh five times, served as the Sports Minister since July 7, 2021. During his tenure, India achieved its best-ever performance at the Tokyo Olympics, winning a record seven medals. Thakur also oversaw the government’s decision to make medal winners in all Khelo India competitions eligible for government jobs, a move aligned with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of nurturing grassroots talent and making sports a viable career option.
Thakur had been optimistic about India’s potential to secure hosting rights for the 2036 Olympic Games, crediting the country’s improving sporting performance to the Khelo India initiative, which was launched in 2017. Despite his departure, the initiatives and changes implemented during Thakur’s tenure are expected to continue shaping India’s sports landscape.
