Background
He was born in 1931 in Muzaffarpur District in Bihar in a Bhumihar Brahmin family.
He was born in 1931 in Muzaffarpur District in Bihar in a Bhumihar Brahmin family.
He was minister from 1999 to 2004 in the BJP government. He got his education from Patna Medical College, Patna University, Royal College of Physicians, London and Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh and Royal College of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London. He revolutionised the concept of treatment of Kala-azar and is recognised as an international authority in this field
He was elected to Lok Sabha from Patna constituency in 1984.
He has held the following government positions: 1984 Elected to Eighth Lok Sabha 1990-1991 Chairman, Kala-azar Spot Assessment Committee Government of India 1990-1993 Member, Advisory Committee on kala-azar Government of India 1991 Member, Expert kala-azar committee to formulate prevention programme for kala-azar, Government of India 1998 Member, Twelfth Lok Sabha (2nd term) 1998-1999 Member, Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests. And its Sub-Committee on Ganga Action Plan Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of External Affairs 1999 Member, Thirteenth Lok Sabha (3rd term) 22 November
1999-1926 May 2000 Union Cabinet Minister, Water Resources 27 May 2000 – 30 June 2002 Union Cabinet Minister, Health and Family Welfare 29 January 2003-May 2004 Union Cabinet Minister, Small Scale Industries, Development of North-Eastern Region April 2008 Elected to Rajya Sabha from Bihar August
2008 onwards Member, Committee on the Empowerment of Women August
2008- May 2009 Member, Committee on Information Technology May 2009 onwards Member, Court of the Jawaharlal Nehru University August 2009 onwards Member, Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare August 2012 onwards Member, Committee on Information Technology August
2012 onwards Member, Committee on Empowerment of Women.