Nayar, Sushila (1914–2001)

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Nayar, Sushila (1914–2001)

Indian physician. Born Dec 26, 1914, in Gujarat, Pakistan; died Jan 3, 2001, at her home in Sevagram, Gujarat; studied at Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi; Punjab University, MBBS; sister of Pyarelal Nayar.

India's 1st woman minister, was initially a personal physician to Mohandas Gandhi and a practitioner of Gandhian philosophy; was imprisoned along with Mohandas and Kasturba Gandhi for participation in Independence Movement (1942–44); after the Mahatma's death, did post-graduate work at Johns Hopkins University in US (1950); returning to India, was a medical officer and started a TB sanatorium in Faridabad; served as minister of Health, Rehabilitation, and Transport in Nehru's cabinet in Delhi State (1952–55) and speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly (1955–56); was a member of Lower House of Parliament (1957–71 and 1977–79), serving as minister of Union Health (1962–67); was founder director of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences; served as secretary of Leprosy Board of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Trust and worked at Kasturba Hospital, New Delhi; wrote Hamari Ba, Kasturba: Wife of Gandhi and Karavas Ki Kahani.