Cabinet Portfolio Announcement: Modi 3.0 Cabinet’s First Meeting and Key Decisions
10.06.2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his 71-member council of ministers were sworn in yesterday, forming the new coalition government. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The cabinet comprises 30 Cabinet Ministers, five Ministers of State with Independent Charge, and 36 Ministers of State. The detailed portfolios will be announced shortly.
Key Highlights and Updates
First Cabinet Meeting: Prime Minister Modi is currently presiding over the first cabinet meeting at his residence in Delhi. The primary agenda includes advising the President on the formation of the 18th Lok Sabha.
Major Decisions:
- The cabinet has approved plans to construct 3 crore houses for rural and urban poor under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
- PM Modi signed his first official file, authorizing the release of ₹20,000 crore to benefit around 9.3 crore farmers.
Swearing-In Ceremony:
The swearing-in ceremony saw the induction of:
- 30 Cabinet Ministers
- 5 Ministers of State with Independent Charge
- 36 Ministers of State
Women in the Cabinet:
The third Modi government includes seven women, two of whom hold cabinet ranks:
- Nirmala Sitharaman: Former Finance and Defense Minister, now a Cabinet Minister.
- Annpurna Devi: Promoted from Minister of State to Cabinet Minister, previously held the Education portfolio.
Other women ministers include Anupriya Patel, Raksha Khadse, Savitri Thakur, Shobha Karandlaje, and Nimuben Bambhaniya.
Key Political Figures:
- HD Kumaraswamy (Janata Dal – Secular): The first leader from the BJP’s allies to take oath.
- Lalan Singh (Janata Dal – United): Close aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, also took the oath.
Noteworthy Details:
- The BJP managed to hold the swearing-in ceremony just four days after the election results, despite falling short of a majority and needing to negotiate with allies such as N Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP and Nitish Kumar’s JDU.
- Discussions are ongoing about the key position of Lok Sabha Speaker, with both TDP and JDU vying for the role.
Coalition Challenges:
The coalition government faced early challenges with a dispute between the BJP and its Maharashtra allies, the Shiv Sena (led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde) and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction.
Immediate Agenda:
- Prime Minister’s Office: PM Modi assumed office in his South Block office in Delhi. The first file signed was related to the ‘PM Kisan Nidhi’ farmers’ welfare scheme.
- Cabinet Meeting: The cabinet will request President Droupadi Murmu to summon a parliamentary session, where the President will address both houses and outline the government’s vision and priorities.
Remarks from Opposition:
NCP MP Supriya Sule expressed no surprise over the exclusion of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP from the cabinet, emphasizing the need for a full loan waiver for farmers as the NDA holds its first cabinet meeting.