On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, having just taken the oath of office for a historic third consecutive term, assigned portfolios to his 71-member council of ministers. This followed the first meeting of the new Union Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s residence in the evening.
Key Cabinet Ministers
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Retains the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, and Department of Space.
- Rajnath Singh: Continues as the Minister of Defence.
- Amit Shah: Heads the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Cooperation.
- Nitin Gadkari: Oversees the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
- JP Nadda: Assigned to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Takes charge of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and Ministry of Rural Development.
- Nirmala Sitharaman: Continues as the Minister of Finance and Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
- Subrahmanyam Jaishankar: Retains the Ministry of External Affairs.
- Manohar Lal Khattar: Heads the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and Ministry of Power.
- HD Kumaraswamy: Takes the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Ministry of Steel.
- Piyush Goyal: Continues with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Jyotiraditya Scindia appointed as Minister of Communications and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region, while G Kishan Reddy takes charge of Ministry of Coal and Mines. #JyotiradityaScindia #GKishanReddy #UnionCabinet #PMModi #MinistryOfCommunications pic.twitter.com/0tT2OtGP0u
— Ritam English (@EnglishRitam) June 10, 2024
Kiren Rijiju appointed as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Minority Affairs. H.D. Kumaraswamy named Minister of Heavy Industries and Minister of Steel. Stay tuned for more updates!#CabinetMeeting #CouncilofMinisters #KirenRijiju #HDKumaraswamy #HeavyIndustries pic.twitter.com/KK1d0OBBCL
— Ritam English (@EnglishRitam) June 10, 2024
Manohar Lal Khattar appointed Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Minister of Power in the latest cabinet reshuffle. Suresh Gopi assumes role as MoS Petroleum and Natural Gas and Tourism. Stay tuned for more updates. #ManoharLalKhattar #CabinetMeeting #CouncilofMinisters pic.twitter.com/9D5fAM0pid
— Ritam English (@EnglishRitam) June 10, 2024
Other Notable Ministers
- Dharmendra Pradhan: Ministry of Education.
- Jitan Ram Manjhi: Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises.
- Lalan Singh: Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
- Sarbananda Sonowal: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
- Virendra Kumar: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu: Ministry of Civil Aviation.
- Prahlad Joshi: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
- Ashwini Vaishnaw: Ministry of Railways, and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
- Jyotiraditya Scindia: Ministry of Communications, and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
- Bhupendra Yadav: Ministry of Environment and Forests.
- Hardeep Singh Puri: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Ministry of Power.
Representation and Diversity
The new cabinet includes ministers from various regions and social groups. It features 27 ministers from Other Backward Classes, 10 from Scheduled Castes, 5 from Scheduled Tribes, and 5 from minority communities. A record 18 senior ministers are heading ministries.
Modi’s 3.0 cabinet includes 43 ministers who have served three or more terms in Parliament, with 39 having previous central government experience. The list also features former chief ministers, state legislators, and ministers. In addition, 33 first-time ministers have been included, among them allies like TDP’s Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, JD(U)’s Lalan Singh, and JD(S)’s HD Kumaraswamy.
NDA Partners
BJP’s NDA partners secured five cabinet ministerial berths this time, compared to none in the outgoing government. This reflects the BJP’s reliance on allies for a majority in the Lok Sabha. The outgoing council had two ministers of state from BJP’s allies, while the new council has two ministers of state with independent charge and four ministers of state.
According to the Bharatiya Constitution, the total strength of the council of ministers cannot exceed 15% of the total number of Lok Sabha MPs. With 543 members in the 18th Lok Sabha, the council of ministers cannot be more than 81. The current council has 72 ministers, nine short of the full strength.
First Session of the 18th Lok Sabha
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha is expected to begin on June 18. President Droupadi Murmu is anticipated to address a joint sitting of both Houses on June 21. MPs in the Lower House will take oaths on June 18-19, followed by the election of the Speaker on June 20.
This new cabinet marks a significant reshuffle and inclusion of diverse social and regional representatives, reflecting the Modi government’s approach for its third term.
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