Ashwini Kumar Choubey (born 2 January 1953) is an Indian politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party who is currently serving Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Environment, Forest and Climate Change and a member of the 17th Lok Sabha. He is a member of the 16th Lok Sabha representing Buxar (Lok Sabha constituency)[1] and a former health minister of Bihar. He had represented the Bihar legislative assembly from Bhagalpur (Vidhan Sabha constituency) before contesting the 16th Lok Sabha election. On 3 September 2017, he became in charge of office as Minister of State for Health in Narendra Modi's Government.[2][3][4] He resigned in July 2021.[5]
Ashwini Kumar Choubey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of State Government of India | |
| In office 3 September 2017 – 9 June 2024 | |
Ministry | Term |
| Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution | 7 July 2021 - 11 June 2024 |
| Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change | 7 July 2021 - 11 June 2024 |
| Minister of Health & Family Welfare | 3 September 2017 - 7 July 2021 |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 16 May 2014 – 4 June 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Jagada Nand Singh |
| Succeeded by | Sudhakar Singh |
| Constituency | Buxar |
| Minister of Health & Family Welfare Government of Bihar | |
| In office 26 November 2010 – 16 June 2013 | |
| Chief Minister | Nitish Kumar |
| Preceded by | Nand Kishore Yadav |
| Minister of Public Health Engineering Department Government of Bihar | |
| In office 13 April 2008 – 26 November 2010 | |
| Chief Minister | Nitish Kumar |
| Preceded by | Prem Kumar |
| Succeeded by | Chandra Mohan Rai |
| Minister of Urban Development & Housing Government of Bihar | |
| In office 24 November 2005 – 13 April 2008 | |
| Chief Minister | Nitish Kumar |
| Succeeded by | Bhola Singh |
| Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 1995–2014 | |
| Preceded by | Vijoy Kumar Mitra |
| Succeeded by | Ajeet Sharma |
| Constituency | Bhagalpur |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 January 1953 Bhagalpur, Bihar, India |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse | Neeta Choubey |
| Children | Arjit Shashwat Choubey & Aviral Shashwat Choubey |
| Parents |
|
| Residence(s) | T.N Singh Lane, Manik Sarkar Bengali Tola, Bhagalpur (Bihar) |
| Alma mater | Patna University |
| Profession | Social Worker & Politician |
| Source: [Dariyapur, Bhagalpur] | |
Political career
editChoubey is a veteran politician from state of Bihar and elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly for five consecutive terms. He was accredited to have built 11,000 toilets for minority and Below Poverty Line families under Swachh Bharat Mission. A slogan "Ghar-ghar Me ho Shouchalaya ka Nirman, Tabhi hoga Ladli Bitiya ka kanyadaan" given by him was a hit in Bihar and people from all castes and religions availed government provided subsidy to build toilets in their respective homes.[6]
Early career
editChaubey has been associated with BJP for almost five decades and was earlier associated with Jansangh. In his earlier stint, he was the health minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet in 2012.[7]
He authored a book "Kedarnath Trasadi" based on the 2013 deluge in Uttarakhand where he got stranded with his family.[8] He and his family managed to take shelter in the Kedarnath temple and were airlifted by a state government helicopter.
Life
editIn May 2019, Choubey became the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare.[9]
Portfolio Held - NDA I (2005-2010) and NDA II (2010-2013) are Urban Development, PHED and Health care.
Member of Parliamentary Committee on Estimates, Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment,Consultative Committee on Health and Family Welfare and Central Silk Board.
Professional work
editHe was instrumental on digitisation of health services in the time of pandemic and had launched Digitised platform of Flagship Health Schemes on (NHA)’s IT platform. The whole process of delivery of healthcare services to eligible beneficiaries under national health scheme is made paper less.[10]
Choubey had piloted medical mobile unit project under his constituency Buxar where the facility of tele-medicine , pathological tests and online medical consultation was facilitated. The mobile unit is named ' Aarogya wahan' and it is piloted in all constituencies in Buxar.[11]
Choubey ministry has provisioned and had exceeded the quota of Remdesivir injection to 2 Lakhs in the state of Bihar in May 2021.[12]
In June 2019, Children in Bihar's Muzaffarpur and adjoining districts have been plagued with Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) which has resulted in loss of lives. In order to address the growing concern, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan called for a media briefing. There were reports that MoS Health and Family Welfare, Ashwini Kumar Choubey was sleeping during the same and later clarified that he was in deep thoughts during the crisis call.
On being questioned by the media, he said 'Main manan chintan bhi karta hoon na, main so nahi raha tha' (I contemplate also. I was not sleeping).[13] In September 2019, Ashwini Choubey said that Cow Urine should be used in medicines and treatment of cancer,[14] for which he was severely criticised for lack of scientific temper.[15][16][17] He also pointed out that the former prime minister Morarji Desai used to consume cow urine as it cures various diseases.[18][19]
References
edit- ^ "Ashwini Kumar Choubey". 2019. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
- ^ "MoS for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey flags off Organothon to support & pledge for organ donation". newsonair.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ "Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey seeks involvement of state health ministers in National Health Mission". The New Indian Express. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ "Union minister Ashwini Choubey cautions judiciary to avoid conflict with legislature". Hindustan Times. 14 October 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ "Cabinet reshuffle: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan; MoS Ashwini Choubey resign; here's full list". www.cnbctv18.com. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ "Bihar's Ashwini Kumar Choubey appointed MoS Health and Family Welfare". Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ "Business News, Shares and Stock Markets News Live - Latest IPO, Mutual Funds, Budget, Income Tax and Finance News". Mint. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ "BJP leader Ashwani Choubey, family rescued from Kedarnath". 20 June 2013.
- ^ "PM Modi allocates portfolios. Full list of new ministers", Live Mint, 31 May 2019
- ^ "Union Health Minister launches digitized versions of flagship health schemes on NHA's IT platform | DD News". www.ddinews.gov.in. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ "चिकित्सा सुविधाओं से लैस होगा मेडिकल मोबाइल यूनिट: अश्विनी चौबे". Hindustan (in Hindi). Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ "बिहार को 23 मई तक मिलेगा 2 लाख रेमडेसिविर इंजेक्शन: केंद्रीय स्वास्थ्य राज्य मंत्री अश्विनी चौबे". Zee Bihar Jharkhand (in Hindi). 17 May 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ "Bihar encephalitis deaths: Was contemplating, says state health minister on charges of sleeping during meeting". 17 June 2019.
- ^ "cow urine to be used in medicines". The Economic Times. 8 September 2019. Archived from the original on 18 November 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ "After Pragya Thakur, Union Minister Ashwini Choubey Sees Cure For Cancer in Cow Urine".
- ^ Paliwal, Ankur (3 March 2018). "From cure in cow urine to 'superior child', pseudoscience inviting research". Business Standard.
- ^ "Of 'cowpathy' & its miracles". 17 August 2016.
- ^ "Former PM Morarji Desai used to drink cow urine: Ashwini Choubey". The Times of India.
- ^ "Former PM Morarji Desai also used to drink cow urine for medicinal benefits: Ashwini Choubey". 8 September 2019.
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