In the third major reshuffle ahead of the 2019 General elections, the Narendra Modi government on Sunday inducted nine new faces in the Union Cabinet, while elevating four ministers to Cabinet ranks.
A major surprise in the Cabinet expansion came in terms of Nirmala Sitharaman being named India's Defence Minister. She became only the second woman to hold the post since former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The reshuffle-cum-expansion also saw Piyush Goyal take charge of Indian Railways. Suresh Prabhu, who lost his Railway portfolio, has been shifted within the Cabinet to the Commerce and Industry Ministry, earlier held by Sitharaman.
Of the other two new Cabinet ministers, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan got additional charge of Skill Development Entrepreneurship while Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi retained the Minority Affairs Ministry.
Nitin Gadkari, who was holding Road Transport and Highways and Shipping, will also head the Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry.
Cabinet minister Uma Bharti, who lost the Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, is now left with Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Here is the full list of the Union and State ministers of the Modi government, following the third major Cabinet reshuffle:
Modi Cabinet Expansion
Modi Cabinet Expansion
Modi Cabinet Expansion
Modi Cabinet Expansion
Modi Cabinet Expansion
Modi Cabinet Expansion
Modi Cabinet Expansion
Modi Cabinet Expansion
