India News
One-third new faces, more than half of ministers in previous govt dropped: key takeaways
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After the grand swearing-in ceremony yesterday (Thursday May 30) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with 25 ministers of Cabinet rank, nine Ministers of State (MoS) with independent charge and 24 others as MoS, among the highlights today was allocation of the key Home portfolio to Amit Shah and External Affairs to former foreign secretary S Jaishankar.
Also noteworthy was retaining the ministries that are central to BJP-RSS politico-cultural programme to persons from the RSS background: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has been given to Prakash Javadekar, who also heads the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Ministry of Human Resource Development to Ramesh Pokhriyal.
While the total of 58 ministers (including the PM) has some prominent new faces, like BJP president Amit Shah and the former diplomat Jaishankar, there are also some significant names missing that were part of the Council of Ministers in Modi’s first term as PM.
Also Read: Amit Shah gets home, Rajnath Singh defence ministry… Know more about Modi cabinet 2019
One-third of the total ministers in the Modi’s 2.0 Cabinet are the first-timers, including BJP president Amit Shah and former foreign secretary S Jaishankar.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1559374284437{border-top-width: 10px !important;border-right-width: 10px !important;border-bottom-width: 10px !important;border-left-width: 10px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #adadad !important;border-radius: 10px !important;}”]
More than half of ministers in previous government dropped, nearly 2/3rd of MoS rank
The previous government had 70 ministers in all and of them more than half have been dropped. Only 33 from the former government have been included this time. Nearly two out of three ministers of MoS rank in the last Union Cabinet have been dropped this time.
Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj are not in this Cabinet. Jaitley had excused himself citing health reasons. Swaraj had opted out of contesting Lok Sabha elections.
Other Cabinet-rank ministers who are missing this time include former ministers of Civil Aviation and Commerce Suresh Prabhu, Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti, and Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi, Anant Geete (Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises), Chaudhary Birender Singh (Steel), JualOram (Tribal Affairs) and Radha Mohan Singh (Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare).
Jagat Prakash Nadda, who was the Health and Family Welfare minister, has also not been included in the new Cabinet.There is speculation that he may be asked to lead the party if incumbent BJP president Amit Shah relinquishes the post.
Among the missing names from ministers below Cabinet rank is Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the former Union Minister of State (with independent charge) of Information and Broadcasting and Sports and Youth Affairs. Also dropped was Manoj Sinha, who had independent charge of Communications and was an MoS in Railways. He had lost to Afzal Ansari of the BSP from Ghazipur, UP.
AlphonsKannanthanam, who had independent charge of Tourism, and Mahesh Sharma, who was MoS (independent charge) for Culture and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, also did not find a place in the new Cabinet.
Of 34 former Ministers of State, 22 have not been brought back. These include Jayant Sinha, Vijay Goel, RajenGohain, Anathkumar Hegde, S S Ahluwalia, P P Chaudhary, Krishna Raj, Satya Pal Singh, and Anupriya Patel of BJP ally Apna Dal.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The most prominent first timer in PM Modi’s cabinet is BJP president Amit Shah. Last evening, he had made calls to leaders who will be ministers in the new government. Interestingly, Shah was third in the pecking order of taking oath. After Modi and Rajnath Singh, but ahead of former party chief Nitin Gadkari.
Also Read: New Education Policy, in first 100 days plan,submitted to HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal
Taking over from Rajnath Singh, who has been given the Defence Ministry, PM Modi’s trusted lieutenant and strategist will head the Ministry of Home Affairs. His style of running the party organisation with an iron hand, while employing guile wherever required, is bound to be evident in the home ministry affairs as well.
It was clear that Shah would be a part of the government when he chose to contest the Lok Sabha election. He and Modi were together in the party’s victory celebrations, travelled together to their respective constituencies of Varanasi and Gandhinagar and together they decided the members for the new government.
Besides, Modi’s trust in Shah is indisputable. At the BJP national executive following the party’s massive victory in 2014, Modi had said, “Amit Shah was the man of the match. Had Shah not been given the responsibility of Uttar Pradesh, the country would not have known about his immense skills. I have personally known Shah for a long time. He will perform to his potential in his new responsibility and I have no doubt about that.”
As the general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Shah delivered a stunning mandate in the form of 73 of the 80 seats in the state in 2014 and was subsequently made the BJP’s top boss.
The BJP repeated its performance in Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, winning 311 of the 403 seats. Modi called him ‘the man of the match’ of that election.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
India News
PM Modi joins fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuriya in Swachhata Hi Seva campaign | Watch here
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, PM modi shared a video of him doing the cleanliness work with the influnecer.
A day before Gandhi Jayanti, PM Modi participated with fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuriya in participated in the Shramdaan for cleanliness campaign as part of the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, PM modi shared a video of him doing the cleanliness work with the influnecer. Sharing the video he wrote, today, when the country focused on Swachhata, Ankit Baiyanpuriya and he did the same! Beyond only hygiene, they included wellness and fitness in the mix as well. It is all about that Swachh and Swasth Bharat vibe.
PM Modi can be heard asking Ankit in the video that how the Swachhata mission will benefit his physical health. Ankit responds, it’s up to us to maintain our environment clean. They’ll stay in shape if it stays clean.
Ankit added that Sonipat’s residents have been emphasising hygiene.
Fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuria, a former desi wrestler from Bayanpur, Sonipat, has earned notoriety for his advocacy of conventional and regional training techniques.
Ankit gained fresh notoriety earlier this year when he introduced the strenuous 75-day Hard Challenge to improve his mental toughness and self-control.
Ankit, who was raised by labourer parents, is well known on social media for his flawless training methods and distinctive routines that not only prioritise physical fitness but also encompass mental well-being with books like the Bhagavad Gita.
Ankit had to change his strategy in 2022 after dislocating his shoulder while participating in mud wrestling. He started documenting his fitness progress on Instagram.
He first learned about Andy Frisella’s 75-day Hard Challenge while learning fitness. In just 28 days, Ankit has accumulated more than 2.5 million followers! Ankit now has 4.9 million Instagram followers.
Leaders from all over the nation participated in the Shramdaan for Cleanliness session as part of the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign on Sunday after Modi urged citizens to participate in a cleanliness drive on October 1.
A number of Union ministers and MPs were spotted taking part in the nationwide cleanup effort for the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign, including BJP leader JP Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah.
India News
Uttar Pradesh: Differently abled woman dragged on road by police constables in Hardoi, investigation underway
SP Keshav Chandra Goswami added that the circumstances of the incident are being investigated and erring officers will be punished if they are proven guilty.
In a shocking incident, a differently-abled woman was dragged on the road by police constables at Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh. An investigation has been ordered into the matter after the video went viral across the social media platforms. Reports said that Superintendent of Police, Keshav Chandra Goswami took cognisance of the matter and directed a departmental enquiry into the incident.
The viral video that went viral across social media platforms showed a woman being dragged on the road by two police officers. The horrific incident took place outside the office of Superintendent of Police on Saturday. The video showed the woman being escorted by two police officers to the police station.
In the video, one woman officer is seen holding the woman by her leg and then being dragged along the ground towards the police station. While walking, the woman sat down in protest, following which the officers dragged her away.
Reports said that the woman is differently abled and has come to the SP’s office with a complaint after a dispute with her husband. However, instead of lodging her complaint, she attempted to climb the wall of the Superintendent of Police office.
The disturbing video highlights the high-handedness and coarse attitude of Uttar Pradesh police in dealing with the public. Speaking about the harrowing incident, SP Keshav Chandra Goswami added that the circumstances of the incident are being investigated and erring officers will be punished if they are proven guilty.
Hardoi police asserted that Shilpa Kumar has been assigned to address the woman’s complaint. They added that one of the woman police officials involved in the matter has been suspended. In addition, the two accused PRD policewoman, who are seen in the video, have been taken off duty and an inquiry has been ordered against them. Social media users have heavily criticized the behaviour of the police officials and called for immediate actions.
India News
Swachhata Hi Seva: Home Minister Amit Shah cleans roads, participates in Shramdaan for Cleanliness program in Ahmedabad | Watch here
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to take part in the campaign Ek Tareekh, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath on October 1 at 10 am on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday took part in the Shramdaan for cleanliness program under Swachhata Hi Seva campaign in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Along with other leaders, the Home Minister can be seen cleaning a road in Ahmedabad. Beside Amit Shah, various political leaders from across the country joined hands and actively participated in the call for cleanliness drive by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Prime Minister urged citizens to take part in the campaign Ek Tareekh, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath on October 1 at 10 am on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. The initiative is a part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan that conforms with Mahatma Gandhi’s vision for clean India.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal along with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla participated in the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign in Kota, Rajasthan. On the other hand, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde actively took part in a cleanliness drive in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also participated in the Swachheta Hi Seva campaign in Sitapur.
On Saturday, BJP President JP Nadda and Union Minister of State for Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi took part in the cleanliness drive at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. At the event, Meenakshi Lekhi slammed the AAP government and stated that they are not working regarding the segregation of waste. Union Minister Raj K Singh also participated in the Clean India drive in the national capital.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar took part in the campaign at Safdarjung Railway Station in Delhi. While participating in the campaign at Gurugram, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw affirmed that a 14 minute clean-up protocol has been prepared for the Vande Bharat trains today and will be carried out at 35 places.
At the 105th episode of Mann ki Baat, PM Modi stated that a major cleanliness event is scheduled for October 1 at 10 AM.
