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The Union Health Minister has a very important role in India. The person at this position heads the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and is also responsible for taking major decisions about hospitals, disease control, vaccination drives as well as public health programs all over the country.
There have been many leaders who have held this post since India’s independence in 1947. These leaders have guided the country through many big moments in the history of healthcare including the setting up of AIIMS, the Ayushman Bharat Scheme as well the fight against COVID-19.
Here is the complete list of Health Ministers of India including their roles and responsibilities along with the Ministers who have served the longest tenures.
Quick Overview
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The first Health Minister of India was Rajkumari Amrit Kaur and she served for 10 years from 1947 to 1957.
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The current Health Minister of India is Jagat Prakash Nadda and he has been serving since 10 June 2024.
The current name of the Health Ministry of India is Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Complete List of Health Ministers of India (1947–2026)
Here is the complete list of Health Ministers of India:
|
S. No.
|
Health Minister
|
Tenure
|
Prime Minister
|
Political Party
|
|
1
|
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur
|
15 Aug 1947 to 16 Apr 1957
|
Jawaharlal Nehru
|
Indian National Congress
|
|
2
|
D. P. Karmakar (MoS)
|
17 Apr 1957 to 9 Apr 1962
|
Jawaharlal Nehru
|
INC
|
|
3
|
Sushila Nayar (MoS)
|
10 Apr 1962 to 13 Mar 1967
|
Nehru / Shastri / Indira Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
4
|
Sripati Chandrasekhar (MoS)
|
13 Mar 1967 to 14 Nov 1967
|
Indira Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
5
|
Satya Narayan Sinha
|
14 Nov 1967 to 14 Feb 1969
|
Indira Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
6
|
Kodardas Kalidas Shah
|
14 Feb 1969 to 19 May 1971
|
Indira Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
7
|
Uma Shankar Dikshit
|
19 May 1971 to 5 Feb 1973
|
Indira Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
8
|
R. K. Khadilkar (MoS)
|
5 Feb 1973 to 9 Nov 1973
|
Indira Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
9
|
Karan Singh
|
9 Nov 1973 to 24 Mar 1977
|
Indira Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
10
|
Raj Narain
|
28 Mar 1977 to 1 Jul 1978
|
Morarji Desai
|
Janata Party
|
|
11
|
Morarji Desai
|
1 Jul 1978 to 24 Jan 1979
|
Morarji Desai
|
Janata Party
|
|
12
|
Rabi Ray
|
28 Jul 1979 to 14 Jan 1980
|
Charan Singh
|
Janata Party (Secular)
|
|
13
|
B. Shankaranand
|
16 Jan 1980 to 31 Dec 1984
|
Indira Gandhi / Rajiv Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
14
|
Mohsina Kidwai
|
31 Dec 1984 to 24 Jun 1986
|
Rajiv Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
15
|
P. V. Narasimha Rao
|
24 Jun 1986 to 14 Feb 1988
|
Rajiv Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
16
|
Motilal Vora
|
14 Feb 1988 to 24 Jan 1989
|
Rajiv Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
17
|
Ram Niwas Mirdha
|
24 Jan 1989 to 4 Jul 1989
|
Rajiv Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
18
|
Rafique Alam (Independent Charge)
|
4 Jul 1989 to 2 Dec 1989
|
Rajiv Gandhi
|
INC
|
|
19
|
Nilamani Routray
|
6 Dec 1989 to 23 Apr 1990
|
V. P. Singh
|
Janata Dal
|
|
20
|
Rasheed Masood
|
23 Apr 1990 to 10 Nov 1990
|
V. P. Singh
|
Janata Dal
|
|
21
|
Shakeelur Rehman
|
21 Nov 1990 to 20 Feb 1991
|
Chandra Shekhar
|
SJP (Rashtriya)
|
|
22
|
Chandra Shekhar
|
20 Feb 1991 to 21 Jun 1991
|
Chandra Shekhar
|
SJP (Rashtriya)
|
|
23
|
M. L. Fotedar
|
21 Jun 1991 to 17 Jan 1993
|
P. V. Narasimha Rao
|
INC
|
|
24
|
B. Shankaranand
|
18 Jan 1993 to 22 Dec 1994
|
P. V. Narasimha Rao
|
INC
|
|
25
|
P. V. Narasimha Rao
|
23 Dec 1994 to 11 Jun 1995
|
P. V. Narasimha Rao
|
INC
|
|
26
|
A. R. Antulay
|
11 Jun 1995 to 16 May 1996
|
P. V. Narasimha Rao
|
INC
|
|
27
|
Sartaj Singh
|
16 May 1996 to 1 Jun 1996
|
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
|
BJP
|
|
28
|
H. D. Deve Gowda
|
1 Jun 1996 to 29 Jun 1996
|
H. D. Deve Gowda
|
Janata Dal
|
|
29
|
Saleem Iqbal Shervani
|
29 Jun 1996 to 9 Jun 1997
|
Deve Gowda / I. K. Gujral
|
Janata Dal
|
|
30
|
Dalit Ezhilmalai (Independent Charge)
|
19 Mar 1998 to 14 Aug 1999
|
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
|
PMK
|
|
31
|
A. K. Patel (Independent Charge)
|
16 Aug 1999 to 13 Oct 1999
|
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
|
BJP
|
|
32
|
N. T. Shanmugam (Independent Charge)
|
13 Oct 1999 to 27 May 2000
|
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
|
PMK
|
|
33
|
C. P. Thakur
|
27 May 2000 to 1 Jul 2002
|
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
|
BJP
|
|
34
|
Shatrughan Sinha
|
1 Jul 2002 to 29 Jan 2003
|
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
|
BJP
|
|
35
|
Sushma Swaraj
|
29 Jan 2003 to 22 May 2004
|
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
|
BJP
|
|
36
|
Anbumani Ramadoss
|
22 May 2004 to 29 Mar 2009
|
Manmohan Singh
|
PMK
|
|
37
|
Panabaka Lakshmi (Independent Charge)
|
29 Mar 2009 to 22 May 2009
|
Manmohan Singh
|
INC
|
|
38
|
Ghulam Nabi Azad
|
28 May 2009 to 26 May 2014
|
Manmohan Singh
|
INC
|
|
39
|
Harsh Vardhan
|
26 May 2014 to 9 Nov 2014
|
Narendra Modi
|
BJP
|
|
40
|
J. P. Nadda
|
9 Nov 2014 to 30 May 2019
|
Narendra Modi
|
BJP
|
|
41
|
Harsh Vardhan
|
30 May 2019 to 7 Jul 2021
|
Narendra Modi
|
BJP
|
|
42
|
Mansukh Mandaviya
|
7 Jul 2021 to 10 Jun 2024
|
Narendra Modi
|
BJP
|
|
43
|
J. P. Nadda
|
10 Jun 2024 to Present
|
Narendra Modi
|
BJP
|
Note: MoS means Minister of State and Independent Charge means that the minister held the health portfolio on their own as there was no senior Cabinet Minister above them.
List of Health Ministers Who Have Served the Longest Tenure
Here is the list of Health Ministers who have served the longest term:
|
Minister
|
Years in Office
|
Prime Minister
|
|
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur
|
9 years, 244 days
|
Jawaharlal Nehru
|
|
Ghulam Nabi Azad
|
4 years, 363 days
|
Manmohan Singh
|
|
Anbumani Ramadoss
|
4 years, 311 days
|
Manmohan Singh
|
|
D. P. Karmakar
|
4 years, 357 days
|
Jawaharlal Nehru
|
|
J. P. Nadda (first term)
|
4 years, 202 days
|
Narendra Modi
|
Major Responsibilities of Union Health Minister
Here are some of the major roles and responsibilities of the Union Health Minister of India:
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Making rules and plans for the whole country’s healthcare system.
-
Running schemes and awareness programmes for various diseases like TB, malaria, and others.
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Leading vaccination drives all across the nation.
-
Overseeing major healthcare institutions like AIIMS, and ICMR.
-
Managing major outbreaks and pandemics like COVID-19.