Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office for a third consecutive term on Monday at his South Block office in Delhi, following a grand swearing-in ceremony last evening. Leading a 72-member Union Council of Ministers, Modi’s first official act was to sign a file concerning the ‘PM Kisan Nidhi’ farmers’ welfare scheme.
The immediate task for the newly inaugurated Prime Minister involves a Cabinet meeting where it is expected that they will formally request President Droupadi Murmu to summon a session of Parliament.
This session will feature the President’s address to both houses, outlining the government’s vision and priorities for the forthcoming term.
In a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday, President Murmu administered the oath of office to PM Modi and his cabinet. The cabinet includes prominent BJP leaders such as Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, and S Jaishankar.
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The Council of Ministers is composed of 30 Cabinet Ministers, five Ministers of State with Independent Charge, and 36 Ministers of State. Notable new inductees include three former chief ministers and actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi, the BJP’s first Lok Sabha MP from Kerala.
“This team of ministers is a great blend of youth and experience; we will leave no stone unturned in improving people’s lives. I look forward to serving 140 crore Indians and working with the Council of Ministers to take India to new heights of progress,” PM Modi stated in a post on X after the ceremony.
The new cabinet’s first meeting is anticipated to take place this evening at the Prime Minister’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg. The allocation of ministerial portfolios is expected to be announced shortly after the meeting.
Significant representation has been given to states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the new cabinet, with Bihar securing four cabinet berths and Uttar Pradesh receiving nine ministerial positions.
Additionally, forty-two ministers hail from the Other Backward Class (OBC), Scheduled Caste (SC), and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities. However, there is no Muslim representation in the new cabinet.
