Shripad Naik

Shripad Yesso Naik is an Indian politician representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and currently serving as Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in the second Narendra Modi government.

He was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha from Panaji constituency in Goa in 1999 after he defeated Jitendra Raghuraj Deshprabhu of the Congress and has held on to his seat after winning in the 2004, 2009 and 2014 elections. In the 2014 general election, Naik won by more than one lakh votes, defeating Ravi S Naik of the Congress. The BJP MP was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha.

PERSONAL LIFE:

Naik was born on October 4, 1952 in Adpai, North Goa district to Yesso Bhikari Naik and Jayshri Yesso Naik. He completed his studies from Bombay University, Mumbai and earned a B.A. degree. He is married to Vijaya Shripad Naik and has three children with her.

EARLY CAREER:

Naik was General Secretary of the BJP Goa Pradesh from 1988 to 1990 and from 1988 to 2000 and 2004 onwards he was a member of the National Executive of the BJP. He was Union Minister of State, Agriculture from September 30, 2000 to November 2, 2001, and then from November 2, 2001 to May 14, 2002 he was Union Minister of State, Shipping.

From 2002 to 2003, Naik was Union Minister of State, Civil Aviation, and from May 2003 to September 2003 he was Union Minister of State, Road Transport and Highways. He became Union Minister of State, Finance (Revenue) from September 2003 to May 2004. He was re-elected to the 15th Lok Sabha in 2009 and then the 16th Lok Sabha in 2014.

During the first Modi government, Naik was appointed Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Tourism from May 27, 2014 to November 9, 2014. He was then appointed Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), and Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from November 9, 2014 to July 4, 2016.

Naik continued as Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH and was appointed as Minister of State for Defence on May 31, 2019.

SOCIAL:

He keeps his followers updated through Facebook - Shripad Naik/@shripadynaik, and Twitter - Shripad Y. Naik/@shripadynaik.