In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, India’s new Health Minister would be newly elevated Cabinet Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. Government sources have termed it an effort by Mr. Modi to strike a balance between political messaging of including MPs from various regional centres as well as from marginalised communities and beefing up the skill set of the ministries with professionally and educationally qualified additions. Women ministers number at 11 in the Modi government with two Cabinet Ministers and others being Ministers of State. Former bureaucrat and Odisha MP Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw was also included as a Cabinet Minister and gets the Railway portfolio. Ongoing projectsWith the inclusion of four Ministers — Nishith Pramanik, John Barla, Subhash Sarkar and Shantanu Thakur, Mr. Modi established that West Bengal would continue to be important as a political project for the BJP.

Source: The Hindu July 07, 2021 18:09 UTC