Modi gives charge of Home Ministry to Amit Shah, Sitharaman gets Finance, Rajnath Defence

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his 57-member council of ministers were sworn in by President Ram Nath Kovind yesterday, Modi government today allocated portfolio to his new ministers. Nirmala Sitharama has got the key Finance Ministry and Amit Shah has got Home Ministry while Rajnath Singh has been given the responsibility of Defence Ministry.

The first meeting of the new Union Cabinet will take place later in the evening today. The Union Cabinet for the 17th Lok Sabha includes 24 cabinet ministers, 9 ministers of state with independent charge and 24 Ministers of State (MoS).

Here is the list of portfolios allocated to the new ministers:


The second NDA government led by Narendra Modi has the maximum number of 10 ministers from Uttar Pradesh, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, followed by seven from Maharashtra and six from Bihar.

The new government also has three ministers each from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Karnataka -- the states where voters gave the BJP a clean sweep -- followed by two each from West Bengal, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.

The new Council of Ministers has representation from almost all the states, except Andhra Pradesh and the north-eastern states of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura.

With representation from almost all states spreading across various caste and social groups, the new government has sought to broaden BJPs reach with induction of some first-time MPs while nearly half of his previous Cabinet ministers have been replaced.



While several experienced hands have been retained, there are 19 first-time ministers. Nearly 35 ministers of the previous council of ministers have been replaced.

The composition of council of ministers showed apparent desire of Modi to expand BJP's reach in new areas where it has made forays in this election including West Bengal and Odisha as also consolidate its social base in areas where it has been traditionally strong.

Former Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar's inclusion in the cabinet shows Modi's desire to have experts handling key areas. Former Indian Foreign Service Officer Hardeep Singh Puri, who lost Lok Sabha election from Amritsar, has also been inducted.

With only 57 ministers having been sworn-in on Thursday, Modi has enough scope for an expansion and reshuffle of cabinet.

(Inputs from agencies)