With two-and-a-half-years remaining in PM Modi's second term, the Union Cabinet got a major reshuffle on Wednesday, 7 July.
While 12 heavyweights including Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, and I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar were left out of the new Cabinet, 43 new ministers were sworn-in.
But not all of them are fresh faces. Seven junior ministers including Kiren Rijiju, Anurag Thakur, Hardeep Singh Puri, Mansukh Mandaviya got promoted in this rejig. In fact, the crucial Health Ministry went to Mandaviya, amid a severe criticism of the government's mishandling of the second wave of COVID and vaccination shortages in the country, while the Law Ministry went to Rijiju.
Home Minister Amit Shah has taken over additional charge of the new Ministry of Co-operation, while PM Modi will himself be monitoring the Ministry of Science & Technology.
Looking at the new appointments, the Union Cabinet now has 27 ministers who belong to the OBC category, 12 ministers belonging to the Scheduled Castes, eight from the Scheduled Tribes, 11 women ministers, and the highest representation of the northeastern states under the Modi regime.
While the Opposition says that the reshuffle is an admission of the Modi government's failure, what is the Modi government really aiming at with this move? Is it to be viewed as corrective measures, or is it focused on elections? To analyse the Cabinet expansion we spoke to senior journalist Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay. Tune in!
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