India

Modi resets his Cabinet; what is in it for Bihar?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reset his cabinet bring 36 new faces and seven others being elevated while 12 ministers including the prominent faces like Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar being dropped.

From Bihar, two new faces have been inducted in the union cabinet. Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, a former bureaucrat and close confidant of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has been made union cabinet minister for steel. Pashupati Kumar Paras, a younger brother of Lok Janshakti Party founder late Ram Vilas Paswan, has taken charge as union cabinet minister for Food Processing Industries.

Only two new faces are inducted from Bihar while two other have been promoted. Bureaucrat-turned-politician Raj Kumar Singh has been promoted to cabinet rank with portfolio of Ministry of Power and New and Renewable Energy. Giriraj Singh has been allocated the plum portfolio of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

Ashwini Kumar Choubey has continued as minister of state. However, Choubey’s portfolio has been changed. He is now Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and also in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Choubey was earlier a junior minister in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

A big surprise in cabinet reshuffle is removal of Ravi Shankar Prasad, who had been a prominent face of the Modi government since 2014. Prasad held the portfolios of Ministry of Law and Justice and IT. Prasad’s bitter run-ins with the social media giant Twitter is seen as a major reasons for his removal from the cabinet.

Six Ministers from Bihar in Modi Cabinet

With the reshuffle now the total number of ministers from Bihar in Modi cabinet stands at six. When Modi took charge for the second term in 2019 he had inducted six members in his cabinet from Bihar. Five of them were from his own party BJP and one from ally Lok Janshakti Party. Ram Vilas Paswan, Lok Janshakti Party founder, was a member of Modi cabinet, until his death last year. After Paswan’s death the number of ministers from Bihar in Modi’s cabinet had come down to five. In the new reshuffle two new faces have been inducted while one dropped. So the number has again reached six, the same as was in 2019.

From Bihar, in Modi’s new cabinet, there are two new faces – Ramchandra Prasad Singh and Pashu Pati Kumar Paras; one elevation from Minister of State (Independent charge) to cabinet minister – Raj Kumar Singh; one promotion in terms of portfolio – Giriraj Singh, allocated rural development portfolio and one change in portfolio – Ashwini Kumar Choubey, moved from health to the ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. There is no change in the status of Nityanand Rai, who continues to hold the position of Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Representation from Bihar in Modi Cabinet

Shri Giriraj SinghMinister of Rural Development; and Minister of Panchayati Raj
Shri Ramchandra Prasad SinghMinister of Steel
Shri Pashu Pati Kumar ParasMinister of Food Processing Industries
Shri Raj Kumar SinghMinister of Power; and Minister of New and Renewable Energy
Shri Ashwini Kumar ChoubeyMinister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Shri Nityanand RaiMinister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs

The Biggest Reshuffle of Modi Cabinet

This was the biggest reshuffle in the union cabinet headed by Prime Minister Modi since May 2014. This is also perhaps among the biggest recast of the union cabinet ever. With the induction of 36 new faces the total strength of Modi cabinet has reached 78. The total number of cabinet ministers has increased from 21 to 30. The total number of minister of states has increased to 45 from 23 before the expansion. However, the minister of state with independent charge has been reduced to two from nine. Only Rao Inderjit Singh and Jitendra Singh holds independent charge as minister of state now.  

Congratulating his new cabinet colleagues Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet: “I congratulate all the colleagues who have taken oath today and wish them the very best for their ministerial tenure. We will continue working to fulfil aspirations of the people and build a strong and prosperous India. #Govt4Growth.”

Full List of Union Council of Ministers

Shri Narendra ModiPrime Minister and also in-charge of: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; Department of Space; All important policy issues; and All other portfolios not allocated to any Minister

CABINET MINISTERS

1.Shri Raj Nath SinghMinister of Defence
2.Shri Amit ShahMinister of Home Affairs; and Minister of Cooperation
3.Shri Nitin Jairam GadkariMinister of Road Transport and Highways
4.Smt. Nirmala SitharamanMinister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate Affairs
5.Shri Narendra Singh TomarMinister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
6.Dr. Subrahmanyam JaishankarMinister of External Affairs
7.Shri Arjun MundaMinister of Tribal Affairs
8.Smt. Smriti Zubin IraniMinister of Women and Child Development
9.Shri Piyush GoyalMinister of Commerce and Industry; Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and Minister of Textiles
10.Shri Dharmendra PradhanMinister of Education; and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
11.Shri Pralhad JoshiMinister of

Parliamentary Affairs; Minister of Coal; and Minister of Mines
12.Shri Narayan Tatu RaneMinister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
13.Shri Sarbananda SonowalMinister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; and Minister of AYUSH
14.Shri Mukhtar Abbas NaqviMinister of Minority Affairs
15.Dr. Virendra KumarMinister of Social Justice and Empowerment
16.Shri Giriraj SinghMinister of Rural Development; and Minister of Panchayati Raj
17.Shri Jyotiraditya M. ScindiaMinister of Civil Aviation
18.Shri Ramchandra Prasad SinghMinister of Steel
19.Shri Ashwini VaishnawMinister of Railways; Minister of Communications; and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology
20.Shri Pashu Pati Kumar ParasMinister of Food Processing Industries
21.Shri Gajendra Singh ShekhawatMinister of Jal Shakti
  22.Shri Kiren RijijuMinister of Law and Justice
23.Shri Raj Kumar SinghMinister of Power; and Minister of New and Renewable Energy
24.Shri Hardeep Singh PuriMinister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs
25.Shri Mansukh MandaviyaMinister of Health and Family Welfare; and Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers
26.Shri Bhupender YadavMinister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Minister of Labour and Employment
27.Dr. Mahendra Nath PandeyMinister of Heavy Industries
28.Shri Parshottam RupalaMinister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
29.Shri G. Kishan ReddyMinister of Culture; Minister of Tourism; and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region
30.Shri Anurag Singh ThakurMinister of Information and Broadcasting; and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports

MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

1.Rao Inderjit SinghMinister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Planning; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
2.Dr. Jitendra SinghMinister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science and Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences; Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office; Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy; and Minister of State in the Department of Space

MINISTERS OF STATE

1.Shri Shripad Yesso NaikMinister of State in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism
2.Shri Faggansingh KulasteMinister of State in the Ministry of Steel; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development
3.Shri Prahalad Singh PatelMinister of State in the Ministry of Jal Shakti; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries
4.Shri Ashwini Kumar ChoubeyMinister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
5.Shri Arjun Ram MeghwalMinister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture
6.General (Retd.) V. K. SinghMinister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation
7.Shri Krishan PalMinister of State in the Ministry of Power; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries
8.Shri Danve Raosaheb DadaraoMinister of State in the Ministry of Railways; Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Mines
9.Shri Ramdas AthawaleMinister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
10.Sadhvi Niranjan JyotiMinister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development
11.Dr. Sanjeev Kumar BalyanMinister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
12.Shri Nityanand RaiMinister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs
13.Shri Pankaj ChaowdharyMinister of State in the Ministry of Finance
14.Smt. Anupriya Singh PatelMinister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
15.Prof. S. P. Singh BaghelMinister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice
16.Shri Rajeev ChandrasekharMinister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
17.Sushri Shobha KarandlajeMinister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
18.Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh VermaMinister of State in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
19.Smt. Darshana Vikram JardoshMinister of State in the Ministry of Textiles; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways
20.Shri V. MuraleedharanMinister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
21.Smt. Meenakashi LekhiMinister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture
22.Shri Som ParkashMinister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
23.Smt. Renuka Singh SarutaMinister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
24.Shri Rameswar TeliMinister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Employment
25.Shri Kailash ChoudharyMinister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
26.Smt. Annpurna DeviMinister of State in the Ministry of Education
27.Shri A. NarayanaswamyMinister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
28.Shri Kaushal KishoreMinister of State in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
29.Shri Ajay BhattMinister of State in the Ministry of Defence; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism
30.Shri B. L. VermaMinister of State in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Cooperation
31.Shri Ajay KumarMinister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs
32.Shri Devusinh ChauhanMinister of State in the Ministry of Communications
33.Shri Bhagwanth KhubaMinister of State in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
34.Shri Kapil Moreshwar PatilMinister of State in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj
35.Sushri Pratima BhoumikMinister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
36.Dr. Subhas SarkarMinister of State in the Ministry of Education
37.Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao KaradMinister of State in the Ministry of Finance
38.Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan SinghMinister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Education
39.Dr. Bharati Pravin PawarMinister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
40.Shri Bishweswar TuduMinister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Jal Shakti
41.Shri Shantanu ThakurMinister of State in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
42.Dr. Munjapara MahendrabhaiMinister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development; and Minister of State in the Ministry of AYUSH
43.Shri John BarlaMinister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs
44.Dr. L. MuruganMinister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
45.Shri Nisith PramanikMinister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

Gyanendra Kumar Keshri

Gyanendra Kumar Keshri is consulting editor of BiharConnect. He has nearly 20 years of experience in journalism, having worked for diverse media streams in India and abroad.

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