Mansukh Mandaviya, former Union Health Minister, has been appointed as India's new Sports Minister, succeeding Anurag Thakur in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet reshuffle. Mandaviya, 52, also retains the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.

Mandaviya, who represented the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat, secured a decisive victory over Congress rival Lalit Vasoya by a margin of 3.83 lakh votes. Born on June 1, 1972, in Bhavnagar, Mandaviya entered politics as an MLA from Palitana in 2002 before becoming a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat.

During his tenure as Health Minister starting mid-2021, Mandaviya was pivotal in managing India's COVID-19 response, focusing on oxygen supply, medicines, and vaccination during the severe second wave.