The 72-member Union Council of Ministers, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third term as the Prime Minister, includes 30 Cabinet Ministers, 5 Ministers of State with independent charge, and 36 Ministers of State.
Key figures in the cabinet have retained their previous portfolios, ensuring continuity in several critical ministries.
Key retentions & reassignments
Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh continue to hold the Home and Defence portfolios respectively. Maharashtra MP Nitin Gadkari remains the Minister for Road Transport & Highways. Amit Shah also retains the Ministry of Cooperation.
Other significant retentions include:
Ashwini Vaishnaw: Railways and Information and Broadcasting (formerly held by Anurag Singh Thakur).
Piyush Goyal: Commerce.
S Jaishankar: External Affairs.
Nirmala Sitharaman: Finance.
Sarbananda Sonowal: Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
New Appointments
Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Minister of Agriculture.
Manohar Lal Khattar: Minister of Power and Housing and Urban Affairs.
HD Kumaraswamy: Minister of Steel.
Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu: Minister of Civil Aviation.
CR Paatil: Minister of Jal Shakti.
Dharmendra Pradhan: Minister of Education.
Chirag Paswan: Minister of Food Processing Industries.
Pralhad Joshi: Ministries of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy (previously held Parliamentary Affairs).
Future of BJP Leadership
All eyes are on the BJP’s future leadership as JP Nadda transitions to the roles of Health and Family Welfare, and Chemicals and Fertilizers. The decision on the new party head remains a point of significant anticipation.
Cabinet composition
The new Council of Ministers is composed of 72 members, just nine short of the maximum permissible strength of 81 and six fewer than the previous term’s 78 ministers.
This streamlined yet robust cabinet is poised to address the country’s ongoing and emerging challenges.
The new ministers are expected to bring fresh perspectives while continuing the development agenda set by the previous administrations, aiming for sustained growth and stability in the nation.
