As many as 43 new ministers sworn in on Wednesday evening as Prime Minister Narendra Modi expands his cabinet. PM’s new cabinet is now the youngest ever in Indian history.
In the cabinet reshuffle, there are 24 new entrants along with the existing ministers who have been reassigned.
A source said that “the new Council of Ministers is like a rainbow council, it will have vibrancy and colors across all communities and regions.”
As per government sources, Prime Minster intended to include younger members of his party to be ministers. PM also aimed at giving greater representation to women and backward classes. The new ministry also includes one Muslim, one Sikh, one Christian and two Buddhist ministers, representing religious minorities.
Talking about the representation of women in the new cabinet, it has now a total of 11 women ministers. Of these seven are new faces with Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Smriti Irani holding their positions. Along with Sitharaman and Irani, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and Renuka Singh Saruta remained untouched by the reshuffle.
Here’s the list of Women ministers in PM Modi’s new cabinet with their portfolios.
Also Read: Modi Cabinet Expansion: 43 ministers to sworn in today, check out complete list
Nirmala Sitharaman
Union Finance Minister Sitharaman remains intact by the reshuffle and continues to hold additional charge of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Smriti Irani
Smriti Irani remains to remain, Minister of Women and Child Development, however, is relieved of the Ministry of Textile.
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti is MoS in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, as well as the Ministry of Rural Development.
Renuka Singh Saruta
Saruta is MOS in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Anupriya Singh Patel
Anupriya Patel, a two-term Lok Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur, has been designated Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Apna Dal, the BJP's NDA ally in Uttar Pradesh, is led by Anupriya Patel. During PM Modi's first term in office, she also served as an MoS in the Ministry of Health.
Shobha Karandlaje
Karandlaje, BJP MP from Karnataka's Udupi-Chikmagalur, has served in Parliament twice. She was also a member of the Karnataka government, holding portfolios such as Power, Rural Development, and Food and Civil Supplies, in addition to being a one-time MLA and MLC.
She has been appointed Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
Darshana Jardosh
Jardosh, a three-time MP from Gujarat's Surat, has been appointed Minister of State in the Ministries of Textiles and Railways.
Meenakshi Lekhi
She has been appointed as MoS in the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Culture.
Lekhi, a Supreme Court lawyer, is serving her second term as a Lok Sabha MP from Delhi. She has also served on the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC).
Annapurna Devi
She has been appointed as MoS in the Ministry of Education.
Annapurna Devi is currently Lok Sabha MP from Jharkhand’s Kodarma. She held portfolios such as irrigation and Women and Child Welfare in state government.
Pratima Bhoumik
Pratima Bhoumik, a first-time BJP MP from Tripura West, has been appointed Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment (MoS).
Dr. Bharati Pawar
She has been appointed as Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.