A number of key portfolios – including health, law, information and technology, and railways – have gone to new ministers and junior ministers who have elevated in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Council of Ministers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new cabinet has got 36 new ministers on Wednesday after a mega reshuffle. A number of key portfolios – including health, law, information and technology, and railways – have gone to new ministers and junior ministers who have elevated in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Council of Ministers. The total strength of the Council of Ministers is now 78, including the Prime Minister.
The current reshuffle has boosted the number of cabinet ministers from 21 to 30 and the number of junior ministers from 23 to 45.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is the Home Minister and has got the charge of the newly-created Ministry of Cooperation.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, who recently left Congress and joined BJP has been given charge of the Civil aviation ministry at a time the sector is struggling under the Covid onslaught.
Anurag Singh Thakur has been given charge of the crucial Information and Broadcasting ministry and he will also handle Youth Affairs and Sports. He was a junior minister of finance and corporate affairs.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha, has been given charge of the Railways and IT ministry.
Sarbananda Sonowal has been given charge of the Ports, Shipping and Waterways portfolio.
Kiren Rijiju, who earlier handled the Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ayush ministry and was also the Minister of State for Minority Affairs is now been given the crucial Law and Justice Ministry.
Dharmendra Pradhan is now the Education Minister.
Piyush Goyal has been given the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and ministry of Textiles
The reshuffle follows a protracted review exercise by PM Modi and the BJP top brass in a series of meetings with Ministers. These were held in the wake of the devastating Covid second wave that has set off widespread criticism of the Government for the mismanagement of the crisis.
RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN PRESS COMMUNIQUE
The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has directed the allocation of portfolios among the following members of the council of Ministers
Narendra Modi
Prime Minister and also in-charge of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; Department of Space; All important policy issues; and All other portfolios not allocated to any Minister
LIST OF CABINET MINISTERS
1.
Raj Nath Singh
Minister of Defence
2.
Amit Shah
Minister of Home Affairs; and minister of Cooperation
3.
Nitin Jairam Gadkari
Minister of Road Transport and Highways
4.
Nirmala Sitharaman
Minister of Finance; and minister of Corporate Affairs
5.
Narendra Singh Tomar
Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
6.
Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Minister of External Affairs
7.
Arjun Munda
Minister of Tribal Affairs
8.
Smriti Zubin Irani
Minister of Women and Child Development
9
Piyush Goyal
Minister of Commerce and Industry; Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and minister of Textiles
10.
Dharmendra Pradhan
Minister of Education; and minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
11.
Pralhad Joshi
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Minister of Coal; and minister of Mines
12.
Narayan Tatu Rane
Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
13.
Sarbananda Sonowal
Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; and minister of AYUSH
14.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
Minister of Minority Affairs
15.
Dr Virendra Kumar
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment
16.
Giriraj Singh
Minister of Rural Development; administer of Panchayati Raj
17.
Jyotiraditya M. Scindia
Minister of Civil Aviation
18.
Ramchandra Prasad Singh
Minister of Steel
19.
Ashwini Vaishnaw
Minister of Railways; Minister of Communications; and minister of Electronics and Information Technology
20.
Pashu Pati Kumar Paras
Minister of Food Processing Industries
21.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Minister of Jal Shakti
22.
Kiren Rijiju
Minister of Law and Justice
23.
Raj Kumar Singh
Minister of Power; and minister of New and Renewable Energy
24.
Hardeep Singh Puri
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and minister of Housing and Urban Affairs
25.
Mansukh Mandaviya
Minister of Health and Family Welfare; and minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers
26.
Bhupender Yadav
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and minister of Labour and Employment
27.
Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey
Minister of Heavy Industries
28.
Parshottam Rupala
Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
29.
G Kishan Reddy
Minister of Culture; Minister of Tourism; and minister of Development of North Eastern Region
30.
Anurag Singh Thakur
Minister of Information and Broadcasting; and minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)
1.
Rao Inderjit Singh
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Planning; and minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
2.
Dr Jitendra Singh
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science and Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences; Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office; Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy; and Minister of State in the Department of Space
MINISTERS OF STATE
1.
Shripad Yesso Naik
Minister of State in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; and minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism
2.
Faggansingh Kulaste
Minister of State in the Ministry of Steel; and minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development
3.
Prahalad Singh Patel
Minister of State in the Ministry of Jal Shakti; and minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries
4.
Ashwini Kumar Choubey
Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
5.
Arjun Ram Meghwal
Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; and minister of State in the Ministry of Culture
6.
General (Retd) V K Singh
Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways; and minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation
7.
Krishan Pal
Minister of State in the Ministry of Power; and minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries
8.
Danve Raosaheb Dadarao
Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways; Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal; and minister of State in the Ministry of Mines
9.
Ramdas Athawale
Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
10.
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti
Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development
11.
Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan
Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
12.
Nityanand Rai
Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs
13.
Pankaj Chowdhary
Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance
14.
Anupriya Singh Patel
Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
15.
S P Singh Baghel
Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice
16.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Minister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; and minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
17.
Shobha Karandlaje
Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
18.
Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma
Minister of State in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
19.
Darshana Vikram Jardosh
Minister of State in the Ministry of Textiles; and minister of State in the Ministry of Railways
20.
V Muraleedharan
Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs; and minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
21.
Meenakshi Lekhi
Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs; and minister of State in the Ministry of Culture
22.
Som Parkash
Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
23
Renuka Singh Saruta
Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
24.
Rameswar Teli
Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Employment
25.
Kailash Choudhary
Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
26.
Annapurna Devi
Minister of State in the Ministry of Education
27.
A Narayanaswamy
Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
28.
Kaushal Kishore
Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
29.
Ajay Bhatt
Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence; and minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism
30.
B L Verma
Minister of State in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; and minister of State in the Ministry of Cooperation
31.
Ajay Kumar
Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs
32.
Devusinh Chauhan
Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications
33.
Bhagwanth Khuba
Minister of State in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; and minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
34.
Kapil Moreshwar Patil
Minister of State in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj
35.
Pratima Bhoumik
Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
36.
Dr Subhas Sarkar
Minister of State in the Ministry of Education
37.
Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad
Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance
38.
Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh
Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs; and minister of State in the Ministry of Education
39.
Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar
Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
40.
Bishweswar Tudu
Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs; and minister of State in the Ministry of Jal Shakti
41.
Shantanu Thakur
Minister of State in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
42.
Dr Munjapara Mahendrabhai
Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development; and minister of State in the Ministry of AYUSH
43.
John Barla
Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs
44.
Dr L Murugan
Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying; and minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
45.
Nisith Pramanik
Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs; and minister of State in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
What the cabinet looked like till July 6
Name
Ministry
Narendra Modi
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Atomic Energy Department of Space All important policy issues and all other portfolios not allocated to any Minister
Rajnath Singh
Ministry of Defence
Amit Shah
Ministry of Home Affairs
Nitin Gadkari
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Nirmala Sitharaman
Ministry of Finance Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Narendra Singh Tomar
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Ministry of Rural Development Ministry of Panchayati Raj Ministry of Food Processing Industries
Ministry of Law and Justice Ministry of Communications Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Ministry of External Affairs
Ministry of Education
Arjun Munda
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Smriti Zubin Irani
Ministry of Women and Child Development Ministry of Textiles
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Ministry of Science and Technology Ministry of Earth Sciences
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
Piyush Goyal
Ministry of Railways Ministry of Commerce and Industry Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Dharmendra Pradhan
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry of Steel
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
Ministry of Minority Affairs
Pralhad Joshi
Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs Ministry of Coal Ministry of Mines
Mahendra Nath Pandey
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Giriraj Singh
Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Ministry of Jal Shakti
Ministers of State (Independent Charge)
Name
Ministry
Ministry of Labour and Employment
Rao Inderjit Singh
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Ministry of Planning
Shripad Yesso Naik
Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH)
Jitendra Singh
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
Kiren Rijiju
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Prahalad Singh Patel
Ministry of Culture Ministry of Tourism
Raj Kumar Singh
Ministry of Power Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
Hardeep Singh Puri
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry of Civil Aviation
Mansukh L. Mandaviya
Ministry of Shipping
Ministers of State
Name
Ministry
Shripad Yesso Naik
Ministry of Defence
Dr. Jitendra Singh
Prime Minister’s Office Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Atomic Energy Department of Space
Kiren Rijiju
Ministry of Minority Affairs
Raj Kumar Singh
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Hardeep Singh Puri
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Mansukh L. Mandaviya
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Faggansingh Kulaste
Ministry of Steel
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Arjun Ram Meghwal
Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
General (Retd.) V.K. Singh
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
Krishan Pal
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
G. Kishan Reddy
Ministry of Home Affairs
Parshottam Rupala
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Ramdas Athawale
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti
Ministry of Rural Development
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Sanjeev Kumar Balyan
Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries
Ministry of Education Ministry of Communications Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
Anurag Singh Thakur
Ministry of Finance Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Nityanand Rai
Ministry of Home Affairs
Ministry of Jal Shakti Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
V. Muraleedharan
Ministry of External Affairs Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
Renuka Singh Saruta
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Som Parkash
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Rameswar Teli
Ministry of Food Processing Industries
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries
Abhishek Banerjee says will not bow to BJP after nearly 11 hours of ED questioning
After spending nearly 11 hours before the Enforcement Directorate, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said he would not bow to the BJP and accused the ruling party of using investigative agencies for political purposes.
Trinamool Congress leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said he would not bow to the BJP after spending nearly 11 hours being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an ongoing investigation.
Speaking after the questioning, Banerjee alleged that central agencies were being used to target opposition leaders and asserted that he would continue his political fight despite what he described as sustained pressure.
The TMC leader has repeatedly maintained that investigations involving him are politically motivated, a charge he has made on several previous occasions while appearing before central agencies.
His appearance before the ED comes amid a period of heightened political activity and multiple investigations involving leaders in West Bengal. Recent days have also seen Banerjee face summons and questioning in separate matters by state investigative agencies.
After leaving the ED office, Banerjee reiterated that he would not be intimidated and said he remained committed to his political responsibilities. He also accused the BJP of attempting to weaken opposition parties through investigative action, an allegation that the BJP has rejected in the past.
The Enforcement Directorate has not publicly commented on Banerjee’s remarks. The investigation related to the questioning remains ongoing.
DMK attacks Rahul Gandhi, accuses him of weakening opposition unity
DMK has intensified its criticism of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader’s actions have weakened opposition unity and strained relations within the INDIA bloc.
The war of words between the DMK and Congress has intensified, with the DMK launching a strong attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and accusing him of contributing to divisions within the opposition alliance. The criticism comes amid strained ties between the two parties following their political split in Tamil Nadu.
According to the DMK, Rahul Gandhi’s political approach has weakened unity among opposition parties. The party’s IT wing mocked the Congress leader on social media, while an editorial published in the DMK’s official mouthpiece Murasoli questioned his recent remarks on opposition solidarity.
DMK questions Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on opposition unity
In its editorial, Murasoli argued that Rahul Gandhi was speaking about opposition unity despite, according to the DMK, contributing to disagreements among alliance partners in several states. The publication cited criticism directed at Congress by various opposition parties and suggested that the party’s actions had often created tensions within the INDIA bloc.
The editorial also referred to past political disputes involving Congress and Left parties, particularly in Kerala, claiming such episodes had raised concerns among opposition allies about Congress’s approach toward its partners.
Tamil Nadu political fallout adds to tensions
The attack comes after a major political realignment in Tamil Nadu. Following the 2026 Assembly elections, Congress ended its alliance with the DMK and joined the government led by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The move left the DMK in the opposition and significantly altered the political equation between the two former allies.
The DMK has alleged that Congress benefited from the alliance during the election and later abandoned its partner. The party’s editorial questioned whether assurances from Congress leadership would be trusted by alliance partners after the developments in Tamil Nadu.
Congress rejects allegations
Congress has not issued a detailed official response to the editorial, but party sources have rejected the allegations. According to the party, its decisions in Tamil Nadu were made in line with the mandate delivered by voters and were not intended to undermine either the DMK or the broader opposition alliance.
The latest exchange highlights growing strains between two key opposition parties even as leaders continue to stress cooperation on national issues. Just days earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said that the DMK remained aligned with the opposition on defending the “idea of India” despite political differences.
Kumkum Bhagya actor Sanchita Ugale dies by suicide near Mumbai at 22
Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, died by suicide at her residence near Mumbai. Police have launched an investigation.
Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for her appearances in Kumkum Bhagya, Wagle Ki Duniya and Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi, died by suicide at her residence in Nalasopara East near Mumbai on June 14. She was 22.
According to police officials, the incident took place at her home in Achole village, Nalasopara East. Authorities said Ugale had locked herself inside her bedroom and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan. Family members and local residents rushed her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Officials said inquiries are underway and the exact reason behind the incident has not yet been established.
Career across television, OTT and films
Ugale had built a growing presence in the entertainment industry through television, streaming projects and films. Apart from Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, she played a lead role in Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi. She also appeared in OTT projects such as Crime Aaj Kal and Silence 2.
The actor was also associated with the film Chhaava, which contributed to her growing recognition among audiences.
Last social media post draws attention
Following news of her death, social media users shared and commented on Ugale’s final Instagram post, which had been uploaded hours before the incident. The post showed the actor in traditional attire lip-syncing to a classic Bollywood song. Fans expressed shock and grief after learning of her death.
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