Cabinet Expansion: The Union Cabinet, which can have 81 members, currently has 53 ministers.
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet reshuffle at 6 pm today, the first in his second term, will bring in big changes with an eye on political and administrative challenges, besides elections ahead.
Here are 10 developments in this big story:
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Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sarbananda Sonowal, Narayan Rane, Varun Gandhi and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)’s Pashupati Paras are among the likely new ministers.
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The new cabinet will be the “youngest-ever” in India’s history, top government sources say. The shake-up is also expected to bring in a greater share of ministries for OBCs (Other Backward Class).
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There will be more women ministers and special representation will be given to those who have administrative experience, say the sources.
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Government sources also say the revamped cabinet will include “PhDs, MBAs, post-graduates and professionals”, to bring up the average education level.
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The reboot will also focus on regions within states, with an eye on polls in five states next year and the 2024 national election.
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A new “Ministry of Cooperation” has been created to “strengthen the cooperative movement in the country”, according to the government.
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Ahead of the cabinet changes, Union Social Justice Minister Thawarchand Gehlot was elevated as Governor and several Governors were shifted yesterday.
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Mr Gehlot’s exit leaves a Rajya Sabha and government vacancy that opens up possibilities for of recent defectors like Dinesh Trivedi (switched from Trinamool Congress to BJP) and Jitin Prasada (ex-Congress).
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Others believed to have received the call are Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal), Pankaj Chowdhury, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Ramshankar Katheria, Lallan Singh and Rahul Kaswan.
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The Union Cabinet, which can have 81 members, currently has 53 ministers. This means 28 ministers can be added.
