With six women MPs sworn in, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new Council of Ministers constitutes 10% women ministers.
Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani and Harsimrat Kaur Badal were inducted into the Cabinet on Friday. Fatehpur MP Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Sarguja MP Renuka Singh Saruta, West Bengal MP Debashree Chaudhuri were appointed ministers of state.
The portfolios have not been announced as yet.
Sushma Swaraj, who served as minister of external affairs, Maneka Gandhi, who was the minister of women and child development, and Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti were not included in the new Cabinet.
Sitharaman was appointed defence minister in 2017. Irani, who won against Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, has held the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Human Resources Development portfolios in the previous Modi government. She held the textiles portfolio in the outgoing Cabinet. NDA ally Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal was given the portfolio of the Union minister of Food Processing Industries in 2014.
Modi’s new Council of Ministers includes 24 Cabinet ministers, nine ministers of state with independent charge and 24 ministers of state. President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Modi and 24 Cabinet ministers. Among the 57 ministers, 19 are first-timers.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!