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BIG STORY JUNE 14, 2024 | The Indian Eye 4

MODI GOVERNMENT 3.0

CONTINUITY

& CAUTION

Prime Minister Narendra Modi retains most ministers from his second term.

But he gives important portfolios to NDA allies and begins to focus on the poor.

Which direction the government is likely to go?

OUR BUREAU
New Delhi
arendra Modi has begun his
third innings as the Prime
NMinister of India. With a re-
duced majority and fewer seats in
the Parliament, the new government
looks like a combination continuity
and caution. This time BJP’s allies
in the National Democratic Alliance
have joined the Cabinet.
PM Modi and 71 members of
his ministerial team took the oath
of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan on
Sunday. The team has 30 cabinet
ministers, five ministers of state (In-
dependent Charge) and 36 Minis-
ters of State. BJP-led NDA scored
a hat-trick victory in the results of
Lok Sabha polls declared earlier this Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs his first Union Cabinet meeting at the start of his third term in New Delhi on Monday (ANI)
month and and won 293 seats.
A day after the swearing-in cer-
emony on Sunday, the BJP-led NDA global economic uncertainties and to the nation’s energy policies and taining their portfolios of Defence,
government under Prime Minister domestic challenges, Sitharaman’s strategic planning, as Prime Minister Home, Finance and External Affairs.
Narendra Modi set the ball running by experience will be pivotal in crafting Narendra Modi’s new cabinet em- The four BJP leaders had the
allocating key portfolios to ministers. fiscal strategies to sustain growth and barks on its third term. same portfolios as the previous NDA
Nirmala Sitharaman has been en- stability. Many of the ministers have The allocation of portfolios to government. The cabinet formation
trusted with the critical portfolios of been retained with their last jobs in the Union Council of Ministers in and portfolio allocation also reflect-
Finance and Corporate Affairs. This the interest of continuity as well. the Modi 3.0 govenrment on Mon- ed the reality of numbers in the NDA
assignment underscores her contin- Nitin Jairam Gadkari’s ap- day reflected continuity with change government with BJP’s allies having
ued role in India’s economic policies pointment as the Minister of Road as several senior leaders retained greater representation.
and managing corporate governance. Transport and Highways signifies the their portfolios of the previous BJP- Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD
This cabinet formation includes government’s continued focus on in- led NDA government and some new Kumaraswamy, a former Chief Min-
30 cabinet ministers, 36 ministers of frastructure development and con- faces also got key ministries that have ister, has been entrusted with the re-
state (MoS), and 5 MoS with inde- nectivity enhancement. Piyush Goyal a direct impact at the grassroots. sponsibility of the Ministry of Heavy
pendent charge from the BJP and has been given the portfolio of Com- The composition of the Cabinet Industries and Public Enterprises
its allies, marking the establishment merce and Industry. Committee on Security (CCS) re- and the Ministry of Steel. Mano-
of the National Democratic Alliance Hardeep Singh Puri has retained mains unchanged in the new NDA har Lal Khattar has been appointed
(NDA) government under Prime his position as the Minister of Petro- government with Union Ministers Minister of Housing and Urban Af-
Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. leum and Natural Gas. This marks Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nirma- fairs and Minister of Power. Man-
As the country grapples with his continued tenure in a role critical la Sitharaman and S Jaishankar re- Continued on next page... >>

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