Modi Cabinet 2024 Highlights: Jaishankar returns as EAM, Bhupinder Yadav takes charge of Environment ministry and Ashwini Vaishnav of Railways

Navsari MP and Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil has been made the Minister of Jal Shakti.

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Hijapur MP Chirag Paswan has been made the Minister of Food Processing.

Secunderabad MP G Kishan Reddy has been made the Union Minister of Coal.

He will also be heading the Ministry of Mines.

Newly elected Porbandar MP Mansukh Mandaviya will return to the Union Cabinet as the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.

He will also be heading the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Rajya Sabha MP Hardeep Singh Puri has been allocated the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Senior BJP leader Kiren Rijiju has been allocated the Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs ministries. 

BJP leader Annpurna Devi is the new Women and Child Development Minister in the third NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The position was earlier held by Smriti Irani.

Senior BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has become the new Minister of Culture in the third NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He will also be the Minister of Tourism.

Senior BJP leader and Alwar MP Bhupender Yadav is returning as the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia has become the new Minister of Communications in the third NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

He will also be heading the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.

Rajya Sabha MP Ashwini Vaishnaw is returning as the Railways Minister. He will also be heading the Ministry of  Information and Broadcasting, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh has become the Minister of Textiles in the third NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Senior BJP leader Jual Oram will head the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in the third NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Senior BJP leader Pralhad Joshi has become the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

Along with this, he will be heading the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

Telugu Desam Party leader and Srirakulam MP Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu will head the Ministry of Civil Aviation in the newly formed NDA government.

Rajya Sabha MP Dr Virendra Kumar will head the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Former Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal has retained the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

Janata Dal (United) leader and Munger MP Rajeev Ranjan alias Lalan Singh will be heading the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, as well as the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has become the Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan will be the new Education Minister in the third NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Mumbai North MP Piyush Goyal will return as the Minister of Commerce and Industry in the third NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy has been given the Ministries of Steel and Heavy Industries.

Former Haryana chief minister and newly elected Karnal MP Manohar Lal Khattar has been given charge of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

He will also be the Minister of Power. 

Rajya Sabha MP S Jaishankar is set to return as the External Affairs Minister.

Rajya Sabha MP Nirmala Sitharaman has retained the Finance ministry.

Apart from this, she will also be heading the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. 

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and newly elected Vidisha MP Shivraj Singh Chouhan is all set to hold the portfolio of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. 

He will also be heading the Rural Development Ministry.

BJP national president J P Nadda will become the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, as well as the Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers in the third NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari has retained the Road Transport and Highways ministry.Further, East Delhi MP Harsh Malhotra and Almora MP Ajay Tamta will be Ministers of State in the Road Transport and Highways ministry.

Senior BJP leader and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh has retained the crucial Defence Ministry in the third NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Senior BJP leader and Gandhinagar MP Amit Shah has returned as the Union Minister for the second consecutive term. Along with this, he will also be heading the Ministry of Cooperation.

The first meeting of the Union Cabinet of the newly formed NDA government is currently underway at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, with all eyes on portfolio allocation

In its first decision, the new Union cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared approval for 3 crore PM Awaas Gramin houses with more assistance.

The Indian Express had earlier reported that the newly formed NDA government is likely to "approve 2 crore additional houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) with higher assistance per beneficiary", as per its first 100-day plan. 

In his first address to the PMO staff after being sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time, Narendra Modi said the employees of the Government of India who "dedicated themselves" to the vision of a developed India also "deserve a big share in this victory."

In his first address to the PMO staff after being sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time, Narendra Modi said that it has been his "endeavour since the beginning that the PMO should become an institution of service and the People's PMO."

A day after being sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited everyone "who ia willing to dedicate themselves to realising the resolve of a developed India."

The newly sworn-in Council of Ministers saw Uttar Pradesh's representation drop from 14 in the outgoing government to nine now. Seven ministers are from BJP, while two are from its alliance partners. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party suffered an electoral setback in the state this time. UP is considered a crucial factor in determining who forms the government at the Centre.

Who are the UP MPs in the Council of Ministers this time:

1. B L Verma from Badaun

2. Pankaj Chaudhary from Maharajganj

3. Anupriya Patel from Mirzapur (from the Apna Dal- Sonelal)

4. S P Singh Baghel from Agra

5. Kamlesh Paswan from Bansgaon

6. Jitin Prasada from Pilibhit

7. Rajnath Singh from Lucknow

8. Kirtivardhan Singh from Gonda

9. Rajya Sabha MP Jayant Chaudhary (from Rashtriya Lok Dal)

Read more here

Malayalam actor and newly elected MP from Thrissue Suresh Gopi on Monday denied rumours of him allegedly planning to resign as Cabinet Minister a day after his swearing-in.

Taking to social media platform X, Gopi wrote, "A few media platforms are spreading the incorrect news that I am going to resign from the Council of Ministers of the Modi Government. This is grossly incorrect."

He added, "Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi Ji we are committed to the development and prosperity of Kerala."

Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi opposition alliance on Monday took potshots at Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar over their share in the new Union ministry led by PM Narendra Modi.

At the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, Prataprao Jadhav of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena was sworn in as MoS with independent charge, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP declined a minister of state berth, insisting on a Cabinet post.

Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Monday said the “minuscule” representation to the two parties in the Modi cabinet has proved that the BJP has shown them their place, news agency PTI reported.

“This is what you get when you decide to be someone's slaves,” Raut told reporters.

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said if the Ajit Pawar-led NCP doesn't accept the MoS post, they should forget any cabinet berth in future. “Ajit Pawar must have realised albeit late that the BJP has a use and throw policy for its allies,” said Wadettiwar, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly.

Baramati Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule said she is not surprised over the Ajit Pawar-led NCP not getting a cabinet berth in the Modi cabinet.

Sanjay Shirsat, spokesperson of the Shinde-led Sena sought to make light of the opposition criticism, saying there may be some reasons why his party did not get any cabinet berth.

“Why should others, who are out of power, be bothered about what we got,” said Shirsat, an MLA from Marathwada region.

The official session of the 17th Lok Sabha Assembly concluded on June 9, 2024, and the 18th Lok Sabha Assembly is now in effect from the same date.

Check out who was dropped and who the new entrants are this time around in this complete list of 2019 vs 2024 cabinet ministers.

SEE THE LIST

"Felicitations to @narendramodi on taking oath as the Prime Minister of India," Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said in a post on X today, a day after PM Modi took oath for his third straight term.

The 72-member Union Council of Ministers which was administered the oath of office by President Droupadi Murmu included 30 Cabinet Ministers and 5 Ministers of State (independent charge). 

1.? ?Sahi Daam: Legal status to MSP, according to the Swaminathan Commission’s formula

2.? ?Karz Mukti: There will be a farm loan waiver, and a Permanent Commission will be set up to effectively implement it

3.? ?Beema Bhugtan ka Seedha Transfer: Guaranteed insurance payment straight to the bank account within 30 days of crop loss

4.? ?Uchit Aayat-Niryaat Neeti: Farmers will be consulted to set up a new import-export policy

5.? ?GST-mukt Kheti: No more GST on essential inputs for farming

"The ?? ????? Pradhan Mantri has made a great show of signing his first file upon taking office – the granting of the 17th installment of the PM Kisan Nidhi funds. Aap chronology samajhiye:

• The 16th installment of PM Kisan Nidhi was due in January 2024, but was delayed by a month for the PM’s electoral calculus

• The 17th installment of PM Kisan Nidhi was due in April/May 2024, but was delayed by the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct The ?? ????? Pradhan Mantri has done nobody a great favour by signing this file: these are legitimate entitlements due to farmers according to his Government’s own policy. He has made a habit of converting routine administrative decisions into some great bonanza that he is bestowing upon the people. Clearly, he still thinks of himself as not biological, but divine."

S Jaishankar with Maldivian President in New Delhi today. Jaishankar who was the External Affairs minister in the 2019 government is likely to retain the portfolio for a second term. He took oath on Sunday and is part of the Cabinet with a ministerial berth.

Over the years, India and the Maldives have maintained close ties. Most notably, India helped prevent a coup in Maldives in 1988. The Indian Armed Forces continued to have a modest presence in the archipelago, until President Muizzu came in on an “India Out” platform. Relationships have since soured, but Muizzu’s presence in New Delhi indicates a possible thaw. In 2023-24, trade between the two nations reached $979 million, primarily involving marine products and construction materials. Many students from Maldives come to India for further studies. Apart from improving strained ties, upcoming discussions will likely be centred around issues such as climate change and sustainable development.

After being sworn in as the prime minister for the third time, PM Modi signs his first file authorising release of 17th instalment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. This is to distribute Rs 20,000 crores to about 9.3 crore farmers across the country

After signing the file, PM Modi said: “Ours is a Government fully committed to Kisan Kalyan. It is therefore fitting that the first file signed on taking charge is related to farmer welfare. We want to keep working even more for the farmers and the agriculture sector in the times to come.”

The first key takeaway from the new Council of Ministers is the political imperative of a coalition government. This is reflected in the record high of 72 being sworn in on Sunday in the third term of the BJP-led NDA government compared with 45 ministers in 2014 and 57 ministers in 2019

Second: What could not be missed during on Sunday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan was a perceptible change in the pecking order in oath-taking. JP Nadda, currently the national President of the BJP, and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan preceded Nirmala Sitharaman. 

A third takeaway from the new Cabinet is that of continuity, but change with addition of new faces — strong regional players — meant that the order of precedence in the party was altered. 

Hours after he was sworn in as a Minister of State (MoS) in the third Modi Government on Sunday, BJP MP from Kerala Suresh Gopi indicated that he wanted to “get relieved from the Cabinet”.

During the Lok Sabha election 2024 campaign, the actor-turned-politician’s major poll plank was that “a Union minister for Thrissur, Modi’s guarantee”. Gopi was one of the two BJP nominees from Kerala — the other one was senior party leader George Kurian — who has been inducted into the Union Cabinet as a Minister of State.

Odisha's outgoing chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Monday congratulated Narendra Modi for taking oath as the prime minister for a third term, equalling the record of first PM Jawaharlal Nehru

Nine ministers from Southern states will be part of 18th Lok Sabha even as three will be Cabinet ministers and the others will be ministers of state. 

Andhra Pradesh

Srikakulam MP Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu was sworn in as the Cabinet minister and Guntur MP Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani became the minister of state.

Karnataka

BJP ally and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy was sworn in to the Cabinet, even as his party is currently mired in controversy over rape cases filed against Kumaraswamy’s nephew Prajwal Revanna. 

Kerala

Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi was sworn in as minister of state after he became the first one to open a Lok Sabha account in the southern state.

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu BJP’s former state president L Murugan who took oath as MoS. 

Telangana

Former state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar who was removed in 2023 was sworn in as minister of state. Former Union minister G Kishan Reddy was also sworn into the cabinet.

With Narendra Modi elected Prime Minister for the third straight time, this time at the head of a coalition government, the question uppermost on people’s minds as he took the oath of office and secrecy at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday was: Can Modi be a coalition-builder?

Modi’s new Cabinet signals continuity as well as caution. He has retained many of his old and experienced ministerial colleagues to show that the situation is politically stable—and he is in control of it. He does not want to risk any rumblings from within his party just when he is trying to stabilise a new situation with the allies.

READ THE FULL PIECE NOW

The Nationalist Congress Party led by Ajit Pawar which won just one of the four seats it contested in the Lok Sabha, has refused to accept the BJP’s offer of Minister of State (Independent) in the NDA government. The party said it expected a Cabinet Minister’s post.

Praful Patel who was offered the MoS berth confirmed the NCP’s refusal to accept the offer, but said there was no confusion or issue between the BJP and the NCP. “Last night, we received information that we are going to get an MoS with independent charge. But since I have already been a Cabinet minister, I cannot take this position since it would be a demotion. We have informed the BJP leadership and they have already told us to just wait for a few days, they will take remedial measures,” he said.

With the oath-taking ceremony of Modi 3.0, one can sense the maturing of our democracy. The last decade of the Modi-led government saw institutional and economic development and a culture of inclusive governance — sabka saath sabka vikas sabka vishwas. With his focus on GYAN (Garib, Yuva, Annadata, Nari Shakti), PM Modi showed that he is the flagbearer of growth, youth development, gender equality and nation-building.

The Weberian concept of “charismatic authority” is particularly apt in PM Modi’s context. READ TO KNOW MORE

Responding to Ukraine's Foreign Minister's congragulatory post on X, S Jaishankar who took oath as a Cabinet minister yesterday hinted at retaining the Ministry of External Affairs portfolio.

"Sincere congratulations to Dr S Jaishankar on his reappointment as India’s External Affairs Minister. I value our good relations and look forward to continuing our open dialogue to benefit our nations and address global challenges. Under your diplomatic leadership, we anticipate India's continued participation in the Peace Formula implementation," Dmytro Koleba said.

To this, Jaishankar said: "Thank you. Committed to strengthening India-Ukraine relationship."

The first Cabinet meeting of the newly-formed NDA government is likely to be held today at 5 pm.

11 berths for BJP's alliance partners in the Modi 3.0 council of ministers, Leaders of alliance partners in the Cabinet include former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, TDP’s K Ram Mohan Naidu, a three-time MP from Srikakulam; JD(U)’s Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh; LJP’s Chirag Paswan; and HAM’s Jitan Ram Manjhi.

The first Cabinet meeting of the third Narendra Modi-led government will take place tomorrow, according to a report in news agency PTI. 

The newly inducted ministers are going to meet at Modi's residence at 5 pm, PTI said.

Senior BJP leader Nimuben Bambhaniya took oath as a minister in the new Narendra Modi-led NDA government today.

Bambhaniya is the MP-elect from Bhavnagar seat in Gujarat.

BJP leader Murlidhar Mohol took oath as a minister in the new Narendra Modi-led NDA government today.

Mohol is the MP-elect from Pune.

BJP leader George Kurian took oath as a minister in the new Narendra Modi-led NDA government today.

BJP leader Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma took oath as a minister in the new Narendra Modi-led NDA government today.

Varma won from the Narasapuram constituency in Andhra Pradesh.