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BIG STORY JULY 09, 2021 | The Indian Eye 4

MOdI gOvT 2.0

New Team, New Challenges

In a major rejig of his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi drops 12 ministers, including six

from the Cabinet and infuses new blood in his administration. But the focus seems to be on caste

equations and upcoming state elections. Can the new team meet the challenges facing India?

Our Bureau

New Delhi/Lucknow
rime Minister Naren-
dra Modi on Thursday
Pchaired the first meeting
of the expanded council of min-
isters asked the new ministers
to meet their predecessors and
benefit from their experience.
The Prime Minister also asked
the ministers to be punctual and
work tirelessly for people. Ac-
cording to sources, PM Modi
told the new ministers that they
should make use of the expe-
rience of ministers who held
the portfolio before them. “Es-
pecially those who are no lon-
ger part of the council, the PM
praised those ministers for work
in their ministries and asked
the new ministers to gain from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a group photograph with 43 ministers who took oath as Union Cabinet Ministers
them,” said a source. and as Ministers of State, at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI)
Modi made the biggest
change in his government on policy and response to the crisis. Forty-three ministers, includ- chaired by Modi has approved a
Wednesday in seven years that It was the first expansion of ing seven who were elevated as new scheme ‘India COVID-19
he has been in power. On Thurs- the union council of ministers by cabinet ministers, took the oath Emergency Response & Health
day, the meeting of the council PM Modi in his second term as of office at a function at Rashtra- System Preparedness Pack-
of ministers went for more than Prime Minister. The swearing-in pati Bhavan held with protocols age: Phase-II’ amounting to Rs
two hours as the newly-induct- ceremony, which took place related to COVID-19. 23,123 crore (roughly $ 3 billion)
ed ministers were introduced in at Rashtrapati Bhavan amid On Thursday, the Congress for the year 2021-22.
the first such meeting after the COVID-19 protocols, came days party said that former Health The scheme aims to acceler-
expansion and reshuffle of the ahead of the monsoon session of Minister Harsh Vardhan’s exit ate health system preparedness
ministry on Wednesday. Accord- parliament. The expansion saw from the Council of Council “is for immediate responsiveness
ing to sources, Modi asked the more representation to states an admission of COVID-19 fail- for early prevention, detection
ministers to work hard for the which will go to the polls next ure” and that “he was made a and management, with the fo-
well-being of people and to en- year including Uttar Pradesh fall guy”. cus on health infrastructure
sure effective implementation of and Gujarat and are apparently The same kind of questions development including for pae-
schemes. aimed at infusing more young are being asked about the drop- diatric care and with measur-
There is no denying that the talent in the government. While ping of heavyweights like Ravis- able outcomes, read a release
Modi government has been fac- the representation of OBCs, hankar Prasad and Prakash Ja- by the Cabinet. The Phase-II of
ing the toughest challenge since SCs, and youth has gone up the vadekar from the Cabinet. But the Package has Central Sector
coming to power in 2014. The average age of cabinet has come now the priority of the govern- (CS) and Centrally Sponsored
Covid-19 pandemic and India’s down. The changes were made ment seems to be to control the Schemes (CSS) components.
poor response has exposed the days ahead of the monsoon ses- damage done by the pandemic. While controlling the dam-
deep flaws in the government’s sion of parliament. On Thursday, the Union Cabinet Continued on next page... >>

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