Cabinet Reshuffle: Smriti Loses HRD Ministry Job to Javadekar
The Cabinet reshuffle is the first major rejig since Modi assumed office in May 2014.
- In a major reshuffle, Smriti Irani lost the Ministry of Human Resource Development to Prakash Javadekar.
- Smriti Irani has been moved to the Textile Ministry.
- Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu assigned Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
- Former Congress member and now Rajya Sabha MP MJ Akbar was rewarded with the post of MoS Ministry of External Affairs.
- Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad assigned Law Ministry.
- The much-awaited Cabinet reshuffle took place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, with 20 ministers taking oath.
- Five names were dropped from the earlier cabinet.
- The top four central ministries — Home, Finance, Defence and External Affairs — did not see any change.
- All new joinees are from the BJP, except Ramdas Athawale and Anupriya Patel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expanded his council of ministers by elevating Minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar in the cabinet. He also inducted 19 new Ministers of State.
Except RPI leader Ramdas Athawale and Apna Dal lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh, Anupriya Patel, the remaining belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Following is the list of the new portfolios assigned to the new entrants:
- Smriti Irani lost Ministry of Human Resource Development to Prakash Javadekar.
- Smriti Irani has been moved to the Textile Ministry.
- Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu assigned Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
- Ananthkumar replaces Venkaiah Naidu in Parliamentary Affairs Minister along with, Chemicals and Fertilisers.
- MJ Akbar appointed as MoS External Affairs.
- SS Ahluwalia appointed Minister of State Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Parliamentary Affairs.
- Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad assigned Law Ministry.
- Minister of State Jayant Sinha shifted from Finance to Civil Aviation.
- Santosh Kumar Gangwar replaces Sinha as MoS Finance.
- Babul Supriyo will be MoS Urban Development.
- Vijay Goel appointed as MoS Sports and Youth Affairs.
- Arjun Ram Meghwal assigned Finance, Corporate affairs.
- Ramdas Athawale will be MoS Social Justice and Empowerment Department.
- Anil Madhav Dave gets Environment Ministry.
- Anupriya Patel assigned Health and Family Welfare.
- Ajay Tomta assigned Textiles Department.
- Hansard Gangaram assigned Home Affairs.
- Ramesh C Jagajinagi assigned Drinking Water and Sanitation Department.
- Manoj Sinha assigned Telecom Ministry.
- Sadananda Gowda moved to Statistics and Programme Implementation from Law Ministry.
- Krishna Raj will be MoS Women & Child Development
- PP Chaudhry will be MoS Law and Justice, Electronics and IT
- Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor will be MoS Tribal Affairs
- CR Chaudhary will be MoS Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution
- Sub hash Bhamre will be MoS Defence
- Faggan Kulaste will be MoS Health and Family Welfare
- Mahendra Nath Pandey will be MoS Human Resource Development
- Purshottam Rupala will be MoS Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Panchayati Raj
- Mansukh Mandaviya will be MoS Chemical and Fertilisers
- Rajen Gohain will be MoS Railways
Five Ministers of State were dropped. The five, who submitted their resignations to the President, are:
- Sanwar Lal Jat (Water Resources)
- Nihalchand (Panchayati Raj)
- Ram Shankar Katheria (Human Resources)
- Mansukh Bhai Vasava (Tribal Affairs)
- Mohanbhai Kundaria (Agriculture)
Their resignations were accepted by President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday. With the induction of the 19 and the dropping of the five ministers, the strength of the Prime Minster’s Council of Ministers, including himself, now stands at 78.
New Ministers Prepare To Take Oath
Minister-To-Be Cycles to President’s House
Rajasthan’s Arjun Ram Meghwal cycled to the President’s House on Tuesday morning.
Ahead of Official Reshuffle, Ministers-To-Be Express Joy
It’s a One-Man Govt, Reshuffle Won’t Make a Difference: Cong
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress on Monday said the much-talked about reshuffle would hardly make any difference.
No Talks With Sena on Cabinet Expansion: Uddhav
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said BJP central leadership has not held any discussion with him on the Union Cabinet expansion and that his party will not stand on anybody’s doors seeking favours.
Asserting that his party will not shed its self-respect, the Sena chief hinted that even in 2014 when the NDA swept to power, his party did not get its due.
Amit Shah at the Forefront
This time, instead of the Prime Minister’s Office, it was BJP President Amit Shah who informed the to-be ministers about their likely induction.
Some of them, who flew into the capital on Monday from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Uttarakhand, said they were summoned by BJP President Amit Shah. All of them met Shah over tea in the afternoon.
Who May Be In and Who May Be Out?
Ministers with independent charge likely to join the cabinet:
- Piyush Goyal (Power, Coal, and New and Renewable Energy)
- Dharmendra Pradhan (Petroleum and Natural Gas)
- Nirmala Sitharaman (Industries and Commerce)
- Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (Minority Affairs)
The likely new faces from Lok Sabha:
- Arjun Ram Meghwal
- PP Chaudhary
- Anupriya Patel
- Mahendra Nath Pandey
- Krishna Raj
- Ajay Tamta
- SS Ahluwalia
- Mansukh Bhai Mandavia
- Jaswant Sinh Bhabhor
- Subhash Ramrao Bhamre
- Rajan Gohain
- Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi
The likely new ministers from Rajya Sabha:
- Anil Desai
- Ramdas Athawale
- Purushottam Rupala
- Faggan Singh Kulaste
- MJ Akbar
- Anil Madhav Dave
- Vijay Goel
Those who may be axed:
- Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla
- Ministers of State Sanwar Lal Jat (Water Resources)
- Nihalchand (Panchayati Raj)
- Ram Shankar Katheria (HRD)
- Mansukh Bhai Vasava (Tribal Affairs)
- Mohanbhai Kundaria (Agriculture)
19 New Faces Are Likely to Be Inducted
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to reshuffle his 66-member cabinet at 11 am on 5 July after two years of governance. Amid speculation and whispers about the future of the existing cabinet, 19 new faces are likely to be inducted. Tuesday’s reshuffle will be the first major rejig since Modi assumed office in May 2014.
There’s likely to be a Dalit tilt in the rejig, possibly eyeing the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh next year.
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