Narendra Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister for a record third term today, matching Jawaharlal Nehru's achievement of three consecutive terms.
The swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan drew significant attention, with around 50 ministers expected to take the oath alongside Modi, although the full composition of the new cabinet is yet to be announced.
The ceremony saw several prominent figures taking the oath, indicating a mix of seasoned politicians and new faces in the cabinet.
The list includes a mix of key veterans like Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and Nirmala Sitharaman, who have been instrumental in previous administrations, as well as new entrants such as Jyotiraditya Scindia and Ashwini Vaishnaw, who bring fresh perspectives to the cabinet. Prominent leaders from diverse regions and backgrounds have been inducted, reflecting the BJP's strategy to maintain a broad base of support.
The cabinet includes representatives from various states and political allies, signaling an inclusive approach to governance.
Here are the ministers who took the oath:
Rajnath Singh
Amit Shah
Nitin Gadkari
JP Nadda
Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Nirmala Sitharaman
S Jaishankar
Manohar Lal Khattar
HD Kumaraswamy
Piyush Goyal
Dharmendra Pradhan
Jitan Ram Manjhi
Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh
Sarbananda Sonowal
Dr Virendra Kumar
Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu
Pralhad Joshi
Jual Oram
Giriraj Singh
Ashwini Vaishnaw
Jyotiraditya Scindia
Bhupender Yadav
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Annapurna Devi
Kiren Rijiju
Hardeep Singh Puri
Mansukh Mandaviya
G Kishan Reddy
Chirag Paswan
CR Patil
Rao Inderjit Singh
Jitendra Singh
Arjun Ram Meghwal
Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav
Jayant Chaudhary
Jitin Prasada
Shripad Naik
Pankaj Chaudhary
Krishan Pal Gurjar
Ramdas Athawale
Ram Nath Thakur
Nityanand Rai
Anupriya Patel
V Somanna
Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani
SP Singh Baghel
Shobha Karandlaje
Kirti Vardhan Singh
BL Verma
Shantanu Thakur
Suresh Gopi
L Murugan
Ajay Tamta
Bandi Sanjay Kumar
Kamlesh Paswan
Bhagirath Chaudhary
Satish Chandra Dubey
Sanjay Seth
Ravneet Singh Bittu
Durga Das Uikey
Raksha Khadse
Sukanta Majumdar
Savitri Thakur
The cabinet is expected to tackle significant challenges and continue major reforms across sectors. With a focus on economic growth, national security, and social welfare, the new team aims to build on the foundations laid in the previous terms.
As the government sets its agenda, the composition and allocation of portfolios within the cabinet will be closely watched, providing insights into the strategic priorities for the coming years.
Nirmala Sitharaman has made history by being the only woman included in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet for a third consecutive term. Sitharaman, a two-time Union minister, is renowned for her role in steering significant economic reforms during her tenure as Finance Minister in Modi's last term.
Sitharaman, 64, first joined Modi's cabinet in 2014 as the Minister of Industry and Commerce. In 2017, she broke new ground by becoming the Defence Minister. Following the 2019 general elections and the illness of then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Sitharaman took over the finance portfolio, becoming the first woman to hold this position for a full term. Prior to her, Indira Gandhi had briefly managed the finance portfolio in addition to her duties as Prime Minister.
Throughout her career, Sitharaman has been credited with advancing second-generation economic reforms and maintaining a robust economic policy framework. Her continued presence in the cabinet underscores her significant contributions and the trust placed in her leadership.