Harsh Vardhan comes on a bicycle to take charge of ministry

New Delhi, June 03: Delhi MP Dr Harsh Vardhan, who was appointed as the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology, Earth Sciences in the Modi 2.0 Cabinet, on Monday took charge of the ministry. Surprising thing is that, Vardhan who has been vocal about pollution problem in Delhi, came on a bicycle to the ministry.

Vardhan, who handled three portfolios in the last NDA government and initiated a crucial national programme to tackle air pollution, made his way to the Narendra Modi cabinet for a second consecutive time when he took oath last week.

Vardhan was appointed Minister of Health and Family Welfare during the Modi government's first stint in 2014 and later, given the charge of the Ministry of Earth Sciences and Ministry of Science and Technology.

In May 2017, he was given the additional charge of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change following the death of Union minister Anil Madhav Dave.

The sixty-four-year-old was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from the Chandni Chowk seat, winning it by a margin of over 2 lakh votes this time.

Vardhan as an environment minister initiated the Green Good Deeds Movement in 2018 in which he appealed to organisations and the people to take small positive actions to strengthen the cause of environmental protection.

Under his leadership, the environment ministry also launched the National Clean Air Programme that aims to reduce toxic particulate matter by 2024. In this regard, plans for 84 cities are ready and the committee formed for has already met and taken stock of the situation.

Vardhan was at the forefront of the battle against tobacco and drug abuse and was instrumental in the enactment of several laws including the Delhi Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places and Non-Smokers Health Protection Act to tackle these problems.

An MBBS and MS from GSVM Medical College in Kanpur, from where he specialised in ENT, Mr Vardhan did his schooling in the Anglo-Sanskrit Victoria Jubilee Senior Secondary School in Daryaganj, Delhi.