Newly appointed Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley today took charge of the Ministry. Interacting with media after assuming the charge, he described the Ministry as an important one and said that the paradigms of information had expanded with the steady growth of electronic, print and digital media. Saying that the information scenario had changed drastically since the days when the only sources of information were Doordarshan and AIR, Mr Jaitley said, the media has gone through an unprecedented growth within the radio. Mr Jaitley also thanked the outgoing Minister, Prakash Javadekar for his unrelenting role in taking forward the mandate of the Ministry.
Mr Jaitley also holds charge of the Finance Ministry and Ministry of Corporate Affairs. In his interaction, the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Mr. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore who also assumed charge today, said that he will strive to fulfill the responsibilities given to him. Newly appointed Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu said, his Ministry will focus on improved service and safety for the passengers. He said, he will work towards making Railways an important institution in the lives of people. He was talking to media after taking charge of the Ministry in New Delhi. He also assured that Railways will contribute in uplifting the Indian economy. Dr. Jitendra Singh who was appointed Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region, said that development of North Eastern region is a priority of the present Government.
Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Harsh Vardhan today took charge of his Ministry. Talking to media after assuming the charge, he said that his focus will be to link science and technology with development of the country. Dr Harsh Vardhan added that his Ministry will also emphasize on strengthening the research activities. Minister of State for Science and Technology, Y S Chowdary also assumed charge today.
Portfolios of some of the Ministers have also been reshuffled. Mr Parrikar, who quit as Goa Chief Minister on Saturday to join the Union Cabinet, takes over the charge from Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who held the Defence portfolio as an additional charge. J P Nadda, who also joined the Cabinet, gets the portfolio of Health and Family Welfare, which was held by Dr. Harsh Vardhan. Dr. Harsh Vardhan has been shifted to the Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Ministry which has been stripped off from Dr Jitendra Singh, who has got Independent charge of Development of North Eastern Region.
Haryana leader Chaudhary Birender Singh, is the new Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water and Sanitation, a charge held by Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari till now after the death of Gopinath Munde. D V Sadananda Gowda, has been shifted from the Railways Ministry, and made the Law and Justice Minister, relieving Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from the charge. Rajiv Pratap Rudy is the new Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry with Independent Charge . He has also got the charge of Parliamentary Affairs as MoS along with Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Mr Naqvi is also MoS for Minority Affairs with Najma Heptulla retained as the Cabinet Minister.
Newly inducted Ministers of State with independent charge, Bandaru Dattatray gets the charge of Labour and Employment, while Dr. Mahesh Sharma has been given Culture and Tourism Ministry. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will be the Minister of State in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Babul Supriyo Baral is the new MoS in Urban Development ministry while Jayant Sinha, MoS Finance. Ram Kripal Yadav gets Drinking Water and Sanitation, Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, Home Affairs, Sanwar Lal Jat Water Resources Ministry and Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya Agriculture Ministry.
Giriraj Singh is the new MoS for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry besides Hansraj Gangaram Ahir getting Chemicals and Fertilizers, Manuskhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava, Tribal Affairs and Ram Shankar Katheria for Human Resource Development. Y S Chowdary is the new MoS, Science and Technology and Earth Science. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti is the new MoS Food Processing Industries and Vijay Sampla, Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold the first meeting of the expanded Council of Ministers in New Delhi this evening. The meeting will be followed by the Cabinet meeting.
