Dr. Mansukh L. Mandaviya has been appointed as the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's newly formed cabinet, taking over the role from Anurag Thakur. Previously, Mandaviya served as the Health Minister in Modi's prior cabinet and has held the portfolio of Chemicals and Fertilizers since 2021. Raksha Nikhil Khadse has been appointed as the Minister of State for Sports. She successfully retained her Lok Sabha seat for the second consecutive term, securing a victory by a margin of over two lakh votes from the Raver constituency in Maharashtra.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as part of the National Democratic Alliance, secured power for the second consecutive term in 2024, winning 293 seats. This marked the first time in 20 years that they did not achieve a clear majority. With India's preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games nearly complete, it remains to be seen how these efforts will be enhanced under the leadership of the new Sports Minister.
WHO IS THE NEW SPORTS MINISTER, MANSUKH MANDAVIYA?
Mandaviya is a long-standing member of the BJP and began his political journey with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the BJP. In 2002, he became the youngest Member of the Legislative Assembly in Gujarat, representing the Palitana constituency.
He served as the state secretary for the BJP in Gujarat and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2012. Mandaviya holds a Master's degree in political science from Bhavnagar University and earned his Ph.D. from the Gujarat Institute of Development Research three years ago.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, Mandaviya secured a victory in Porbandar, defeating Congress candidate Lalit Vasoya by over four lakh votes.
Anurag Thakur's departure from Sports Ministry
The outgoing Anurag Thakur was one of 37 ministers not included in Prime Minister Modi's third consecutive government. Thakur had served as the sports minister since July 7, 2021, holding the position for nearly three years. Under his leadership, India achieved its best-ever Olympic performance, securing a record seven medals at the Tokyo Games shortly after he assumed the role following a cabinet reshuffle from Kiren Rijiju.
During his tenure, Thakur was instrumental in a significant policy change that made all medal winners in Khelo India competitions eligible for government jobs, following a revision in criteria. In March, when this change was announced, Thakur emphasized that it aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to develop a robust sports ecosystem, nurture talent from the grassroots, and transform sports into a profitable and attractive career option. Furthermore, under his guidance, India initiated efforts to bid for hosting the 2036 Olympic Games for the first time.
Thakur has been vocal about his confidence in India securing the hosting rights and has attributed a portion of the country's improving sports performances to the government's flagship Khelo India initiative, which started in 2017 and receives a substantial part of the sports budget.
Thakur, who began his political career in 2008 and has been elected five times from the Hamirpur constituency in Himachal Pradesh, also believed that India could be among the top-5 medal-winning nations globally.
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