H. V. Hande Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Earned Name	Ever-genial Mangalorian
Profession(s)	Politician, Medical Practitioner
Physical Stats
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Grey
Politics
Political Party	• Swatantra Party • AIADMK • Bharatiya Janata Party
Political Journey	• 1st Deputy General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam • Minister for Health, Tamil Nadu (9 June 1980-21 October 1986)
Awards	• Dr. B. C. Roy Award (1985) • Padma Shri (2026)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	28 November 1927 (Monday)
Age (as of 2025)	98 Years
Birthplace	Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Zodiac sign	Sagittarius
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
College/University	Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Educational Qualification	Graduation in Integrated Medicine (Modern Medicine and Ayurved) (1950)
Religion	Hinduism
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date	13 May 1954
Family
Wife/Spouse	Shanthi
Children	Son(s)- 2 • Krishna Hande • Vishwanath Hande
Parents	Father- Dr. H. Venkataramana Hande (surgeon) Mother- Mahalakshmi
Siblings	9
Money Factor
Assets/Properties	Movable Assets • Cash: Rs. 10,000 • Deposits in Banks: Rs. 12,27,848 Immovable Assets • Buildings: Rs. 2,45,00,000
Net Worth (approx.)	27.81 Lakhs (as of 2006) [1]MyNeta

Some Lesser Known Facts About H. V. Hande

• H. V. Hande was born into a Kota Brahmin family in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

• He was one of the ten children of Dr. H. Venkataramana Hande, a surgeon who worked during the British Raj.

• His family originally came from Mangalore.

• H. V. Hande completed his schooling in Nellore, Penukonda, and Mangalore.

• After completing his schooling, he studied medicine at Kilpauk Medical College and completed his medical education in 1950.
• During his college days in Mangalore, he took part in the Quit India Movement. This was his first involvement in public life.

• He started practising medicine after becoming a doctor in 1950. He opened a small clinic in Shenoy Nagar, Chennai.

• At that time, he charged only Rs. 1 for a consultation. Many of his early patients recalled in a media talk that he provided simple and affordable service.
  

  An old picture of H. V. Hande with his wife in the 1950s

• In 1964, H. V. Hande entered politics. He contested as an Independent candidate from the Graduates Constituency. He won the election and became a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council.

• After winning the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council elections, he joined the Swatantra Party.

• In 1967 and 1971, he contested the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections from the Park Town constituency.

• On 18 July 1967, Chief Minister C. N. Annadurai introduced a resolution in the Assembly to change the name of Madras State to “Tamil Nadu.”

• During this historic debate, H. V. Hande reportedly supported the proposal and loudly responded with “Vazhga” (Long Live),. He showed his support for the new name.

• In 1970, he was appointed as one of the All India Secretaries of the Swatantra Party. During this period, he worked closely with C. Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji, who was the first Indian Governor-General of India.

• After Rajaji’s death, he joined the AIADMK.

• In 1978, he contested the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council elections from the Madras City Graduates Constituency.

• In 1980, during the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, he contested from the Anna Nagar constituency as an AIADMK candidate. He lost the election to his opponent and DMK leader M. Karunanidhi by 699 votes.
  

  H. V. Hande with M. Karunanidhi

• He then served as the Minister of Health in the second and third governments of M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) from 1980 to 1986.
  

  H. V. Hande with MGR and Jayalalithaa

• During his time as Health Minister, he worked to improve public healthcare across Tamil Nadu. He worked on reducing infant mortality rate, strengthened primary healthcare services, and introduced several programs to fight leprosy.

• H. V. Hande played an important role in India’s fight against polio. He worked with the Rotary Club and the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, to create an effective model for mass polio vaccination. His started large community vaccination drives that later supported India in controlling polio.
  

  H. V. Hande with Jayalalithaa

• In 1984, he established H. V. Hande Hospital in Chennai.

• The same year, Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran became seriously ill. Hande then managed the medical emergency and arranged MGR’s treatment. He airlifted MGR to Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, for advanced medical care.
  

  H. V. Hande with MGR during a political rally

• That same year, he was re-elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council.
  

  H. V. Hande with Jayalalithaa during a political rally

• Under his leadership as a Health Minister, the health department of Tamil Nadu stayed at the top position in India for five continuous years.

• His work received national appreciation when in 1985, the Medical Council of India honoured him with the Dr. B. C. Roy Award for his excellent service as a Health Minister.

• H. V. Hande remains the only Health Minister who had received this honour for this achievement.

• In 1986, during his tenure as Health Minister, his department officially announced India’s first reported HIV/AIDS case based on research conducted by Christian Medical College, Vellore.
  

  H. V. Hande during a meeting

• That same year, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council was abolished, and H. V. Hande stopped working as a legislator.

• After the death of M. G. Ramachandran in 1987, he stayed away from politics.

• In 1999, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

• In 2004, he was appointed as a member of the BJP National Council.

• In 2006, he contested the Tamil Nadu Assembly election from the Anna Nagar constituency as a BJP candidate and received around 9,000 votes.
  

  H. V. Hande with Narendra Modi

• Apart from being a doctor and politician, H. V. Hande is also an author.

• He is known for the English translation of the Kamba Ramayanam.

• He has also written several other books, such as Ambedkar and the Making of the Indian Constitution, Dr. Ambedkar and His Significance Today, The Critical Years of an Immortal Legend: MGR, and The Story of the Constitution of India and How It Was Mutilated in 1975/76 During the Emergency.
  

  Our Constitution: Distortions Done By Smt. Indira Gandhi During Emergency

• In 2026, H. V. Hande completed more than 75 years in active medical practice. He then became one of the longest-serving physicians in India and received Padma Shri.