Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet has been reshuffled for the first time in his second term. The 'Big and Bold' decision is focussing three main objectives - enhance representation, pacify or punish, and enable better governance.
Reshuffling came with 11 women, 27 OBCs, 12 members of the Scheduled Castes and 8 of the Scheduled Tribes in the most inclusive council of ministers so far.
Hardeep Singh Puri, who represents UP in the Rajya Sabha, has been promoted and given the key Petroleum portfolio.
Keeping in view the regional representation the new faces are from Karnataka (four) and Tamil Nadu (one), Maharashtra (four) Gujarat (three), Odisha (two), West Bengal (four) and the North-East (three).
Ashwini Vaishnaw, IIT-ian, MBA and former IAS officer, has been given the responsibility of challenging portfolios of Railways, Communications and IT. The media-friendly Anurag Thakur is the new Information & Broadcasting minister. Mansukh Mandaviya has no academic background in health, but his vigorous involvement in the ‘Jan Aushadhi’ campaign may have clinched the portfolio of Health for him.
The JD(U) and the LJP (Paras) were granted Cabinet berths while the Apna Dal was given MoS status.
Another intriguing decision has come with setting up of a Ministry of Cooperation under Home Minister Amit Shah. Omission is seen in the exercise as there is absence of a member of the dominant minority community. Punjab and the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir are missing as well.