- Saturday, April 20, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
A NUMBER of newly appointed ministers took charge of their respective assignments on Thursday (8), a day after prime minister Narendra Modi effected a mega cabinet reshuffle. As many as 43 ministers took oath at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday and 36 among them are new faces. Seven existing ministers got an elevation. Twelve serving ministers, on the other hand, were removed.
Mansukh Mandaviya took over the new health and family welfare minister after the post was vacated by Dr Harsh Vardhan, who served since Modi took over the office for the second term in 2019. Mandaviya will also head the chemicals and fertilizers ministry where he was a minister of state earlier.
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Speaking about managing the health ministry which has faced steep challenges in times of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mandaviya told ANI news channel that he would try his best to meet the expectations of the prime minister who gave him the charge. Dr Bharti Pravin Pawar, who also made his ministerial debut, will serve as Mandaviya’s deputy in the health ministry. She said the focus will be on betterment of rural areas.
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Ashwini Vaishnaw new railway, information technology minister
Ashwini Vaishnaw became the new railway and information technology minister while Jyotiraditya Scindia, a former Union minister in the Congress government, took charge of the aviation ministry. The same ministry was looked after his father, late Madhavrao Scindia, exactly three decades ago.
Vaishnaw, who was seen interacting with his officers at his new office at Rail Bhavan, said in a tweet, “Took charge as Cabinet Minister of Railways today. Once again, from the core of my heart, I extend my gratitude to Hon’ble PM Narendra Modiji for entrusting me this responsibility.” He also told the media that he will work towards realising Modi’s dream of bringing changes in the lives of the people through the railways.
His deputy in the railway ministry Darshana Vikram Jardos also took charge of the office on Thursday. She is also the minister of state for textiles. Piyush Goyal, who was the railway minister earlier, will now lead the ministries of commerce and industry, consumer affairs, food and public distribution and textiles.
In the information technology ministry, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a Rajya Sabha member, will be Vaishnaw’s deputy and he also took charge on Thursday.
Anurag Thakur gets information & broadcasting, sports
Anurag Thakur, who was among those who got an elevation, took charge of the information and broadcasting and youth affairs and sports ministries while Kiren Rijiju became the new law minister. He was earlier the minister of state (independent charge) for youth affairs and sports.
Rijiju, who replaced senior minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, took charge of his new office and said it was time to work and not talk of visions. When he was asked whether he would take help from his predecessor, Rijiju said it is always about team work and nothing happens alone.
Thakur, who was earlier a junior minister in the finance ministry, replaced Prakash Javadekar in the information and broadcast ministry. Javadekar was also the environment minister and was among the high-profile exits from Modi’s cabinet on Wednesday.
“PM Modi has done terrific work in the last seven years to take India forward. The work done by people before me in the I&B Ministry and the responsibility given to me by the PM… I will try to meet those expectations,” Thakur told the media.
Scindia, who joined the BJP last year, expressed his gratitude to all senior leaders for giving him the opportunity and said he would do his best to keep the belief shown in him intact.
Meenakshi Lekhi, a member of Lok Sabha from Delhi, took charge as the minister of state for external affairs and culture. She told ANI, “Women have been given big responsibilities. People used to speak of women empowerment but PM Modi made it possible that the country is led by empowered women, who are provided recognition and given responsibility… this is praiseworthy.”
