LIVE| PM Modi allocates portfolios; BJP retains Big 4
Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar retain Home, Finance, Defence and External Affairs ministries, respectively
PM Narendra Modi holds meeting of his new Cabinet on Monday, June 10, at his residence in New Delhi.
Narendra Modi, sworn in as the Prime Minister for a third consecutive term in a grand ceremony on Sunday (June 9), took charge of the new government on Monday (June 10). Most of the key cabinet ministers in the third Narendra Modi-led government have retained the portfolios they held in the previous BJP dispensation.
While there are some new faces in the cabinet, leaders such as BJP president J P Nadda and Jual Oram have returned as ministers. While Nadda served in the first Modi government and was made the health minister this time, Oram returned to the Centre after a gap as the minister for tribal affairs.
Rajnath Singh (BJP): He has seen a long political innings from being a chief minister of Uttar Pradesh to the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He has retained the Defence portfolio.
Amit Shah (BJP): He has retained Home and Cooperation portfolios. He has also served as BJP national president for six years.
Nitin Gadkari (BJP): He has retained the Road and Highways portfolio.
Nirmala Sitharaman (BJP): She continues as Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs.
S Jaishankar (BJP): A career diplomat who has served as India's envoy to Beijing and later rose to become the foreign secretary. He was the External Affairs Minister in the second Modi government. He has retained the portfolio.
Here is the complete list of new ministers
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Newly appointed Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil has pledged to turn "jal shakti" (water power) into "rashtra shakti" (national power), emphasising the sacred duty of conserving and enhancing India's water resources.
Paatil, a Cabinet minister from Gujarat, made these remarks soon after his appointment in the first cabinet meeting of the Modi government's new term.
"It is a moment of immense pride and inspiration for me to thank Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Sir for entrusting me with the responsibility of Jal Shakti Ministry. I express my deep gratitude for this important responsibility," Paatil, the Lok Sabha member from Navsari in Gujarat, tweeted on X.
Highlighting the significance of water conservation, Paatil added that the conservation and enhancement of water resources of our country is a sacred cause.
"I will work with my dedication and devotion to achieve this. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, we will understand the importance of water, conserve it and ensure rich water resources for future generations," he stated.
Paatil, the BJP's Gujarat unit president who won the Navsari seat by a record margin, reiterated his commitment to transforming "jal shakti" into "rashtra shakti" under PM Modi's leadership.
Dismissing speculations about any rift in West Bengal BJP unit regarding the next party president following his induction into the Union Cabinet, senior BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar on Monday said the party has a proper procedure to choose office bearers.
Speaking to reporters in Banga Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday, Majumdar said he will discharge his responsibility as the party's Bengal unit chief for the time being.
"I am deeply grateful to the Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi , for appointing me as the Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, in its third consecutive term," Karnataka JDS MP HD Kumaraswamy posted on 'X' (formerly Twitter).