Dr. Harshvardhan Goel (English: Dr. Harshvardhan Goel, born 13 December 1954, Delhi) is an Indian politician. He is one of the big leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi. He has been the ‘Union Minister of Science and Technology’ and ‘Environment, Forest and Climate Change’, ‘Earth Sciences’ in the Modi Cabinet. Under his leadership many achievements have been achieved in the field of science and technology. Dr. Harsh Vardhan represents Chandni Chowk, Delhi as a Member of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha. Before the Lok Sabha, he has been selected as the Chief Minister candidate of Delhi from BJP in the Delhi Assembly elections. He was first elected as a member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly from Krishna Nagar Legislative Assembly. Dr. Harsh Vardhan has been a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker since childhood, which gradually turned him towards politics. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, who left medicine and entered politics, is counted among the veteran leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan was born on December 13, 1954 in Delhi. His father’s name is Om Prakash Goyal and mother’s name is Snehlata Devi. He completed his MBBS and MS from Ganesh Shankar Vidharthi Memorial Medical College, Kanpur. Dr. Harsh Vardhan is a trained doctor by profession and that is why he is famous as Doctor Saheb among the party workers. He married Nutan on February 26, 1982. He has two sons and a daughter.
Doctor-turned-politician Dr. Harsh Vardhan is the only leader from Delhi, who has been given a place in the new cabinet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has been given the responsibility of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology, Geology. In the previous government, Harsh Vardhan was first given the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Later he was given the charge of the Ministry of Earth Sciences and Science and Technology. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, who won the elections for the 17th Lok Sabha by 2,28,145 votes, is considered a seasoned player in Delhi politics. He has not lost a single election till date.
The aim of Dr. Harsh Vardhan’s life is expressed in three words – ‘Cleanliness’, ‘Patriotism’ and ‘Social Service’. Family, society and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh have developed them in this way. Leadership ability has been there in him from the beginning. He joined the junior doctors’ organization at the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College in Kanpur and led their struggle. As long as he stayed there, he also established a branch of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Not only this, when the Emergency was imposed, he stayed underground and started a movement in the hostels and among the students. After the end of the Emergency, when there was a call to re-establish democracy, he led a team and carried out an awareness campaign in the villages from Kanpur to Amethi. According to Dr. Aarti Dave Lalchandani, Principal of GSVM Medical College and classmate of Dr. Harsh Vardhan – “He often told his colleagues that after returning to Delhi, he would do social service along with politics and would have his own hospital in Delhi, which would be true in future. He started his own clinic in Krishna Nagar as an ENT (Nose and Throat) surgeon till the time he was the leader of the opposition in Delhi Assembly. Even today, when patients go to the clinic, their household expenses are maintained with the help of this clinic. Almost 30 years old.
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee did not give the title of Swasthyavardhan to Dr. Harsh Vardhan just like that. He has the responsibility of starting ‘Polio Free Campaign’ across the country including Delhi. With his efforts he made it a mass movement. He knew that polio could not be eradicated merely by involving officials and doctors, so he visited schools, held frequent meetings with RWAs, social and religious organizations. Celebrities were associated with it. It was due to his efforts that this campaign was adopted by the Central Government and the country became polio free. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to make him the Health Minister, everyone found it appropriate. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, who became the Health Minister after the historic victory of the Modi government again, reached the ministry on a bicycle to take charge. It was a short journey, but it had a broad message to motivate people towards health and environment.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan’s simplicity and honesty is an example for the entire country. He is the only BJP leader about whom former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral had said that – “If he had to reward any minister of the country for his remarkable work, he would prefer to choose Dr. Harsh Vardhan for it.” When he became the Health Minister, a group of doctors went to congratulate him. Along with it was the idol of God enclosed in a packet. He flatly refused to accept it. Even when he was told that the idol existed, he did not accept it. Ultimately the delegation itself proposed to open the packet and give the idol, which they accepted and took the idol in place of the packet.
BJP was confident about the leadership ability of Dr. Harsh Vardhan from the beginning. There were two occasions from 1993 to 1998, when there was talk in the party of making him the Chief Minister of Delhi and the top leadership of the party was also in his favor, but the circumstances were not favourable, due to which ultimately he could not become the Chief Minister. Even after this, in the year 2013, the party contested the Delhi Assembly elections under his leadership, but due to the numerical strength being less, he could not become the Chief Minister. However, his regret never showed on his face. He happily accepted every decision of the public and the party.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan is counted among the veteran leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party. During the BJP government in Delhi (1993-1998), Harsh Vardhan was given the responsibility of various posts in the state cabinet including Health Minister, Law Minister and Education Minister, which he performed well. No one has ever been able to defeat Dr. Harsh Vardhan in the history of Delhi Assembly elections. He reached the Assembly for the first time in 1993 by being elected MLA from Krishna Nagar area of Delhi. In 1996, he was appointed Law and Health Minister in the Government of Delhi. After this he became MLA in 1998, 2003 and 2008. He was also made the Chief Minister candidate in the 2013 Delhi Assembly elections. Dr. Harsh Vardhan is known as a senior, honest and efficient organizer of the country; Not only BJP, but opposition parties too are impressed by his honesty, simplicity and being a grassroots leader. Dr. Harsh Vardhan has been the President of Delhi BJP four times. Apart from this, he was also given the responsibility of National Vice President of BJP.[2]
