Modi 3.0: PM Modi Takes Oath For 3rd Time in Grand Ceremony
Narendra Modi took oath for a historic third term as Prime Minister, forming a diverse new cabinet with 71 ministers.
On June 9, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the oath of office for the third consecutive time at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was administered the oath by President Droupadi Murmu. With this, Modi became the first Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to be elected for three consecutive terms.
Security was tight around the venue and other key locations in Delhi, with commandos deployed as the city remained on high alert for the event. Police also declared Delhi a no-fly zone, banning drones, paragliders, and hot air balloons for a few days.
The ceremony was attended by leaders from neighboring countries, including the Prime Ministers and Presidents of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, and Seychelles. Despite tensions, the President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, also attended.
After the swearing-in, PM Modi met with the visiting leaders and thanked them for their presence. He assured them that India would continue to work for regional peace, progress, and prosperity in close partnership with their countries.
The event was attended by political veterans, business leaders, celebrities, and actors.
New Cabinet Sworn In:
Out of the 81 slots allowed in the Union Council of Ministers, 71 ministers were sworn in to join the new cabinet. The decisions were made after an 11-hour meeting at the Prime Minister's residence on June 8, 2024.
The new cabinet includes:
- 30 Cabinet Ministers
- 5 Ministers of State (Independent Charge)
- 36 Ministers of State
Some key ministers from Modi’s second term who have been retained are:
- Amit Shah
- Rajnath Singh
- Nirmala Sitharaman
- S Jaishankar
- Nitin Gadkari
- Piyush Goyal
- Dharmendra Pradhan
- Ashwini Vaishnaw
- Bhupender Yadav
- Kiren Rijiju
- Dr. Virendra Kumar
Surprisingly, BJP Chief JP Nadda was also sworn in as a minister.
However, notable figures from the Modi 2.0 cabinet like Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Smriti Irani, and Rajeev Chandrasekhar were not sworn in. Anurag Thakur and Narayan Rane, despite winning their elections, were also not included.
Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi, the first BJP Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, was sworn in as a minister, marking a significant achievement for the party in the state.
Representation of Allies and Former Chief Ministers
The NDA government has given proper representation to its allies. Some of the ministers from allied parties are:
- Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' (JD(U))
- K Ram Mohan Naidu (TDP)
- Chirag Paswan (LJP-RV)
- Ramdas Athawale (Republican Party of India)
Former Chief Ministers who were sworn in as ministers include:
- Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh)
- Manohar Lal Khattar (Haryana)
- Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam)
- Jitan Ram Manjhi (Bihar)
- H D Kumaraswamy (Karnataka)
Diverse Representation:
The new Council of Ministers shows a diverse representation from 24 states. It includes:
- 27 Ministers from Other Backward Classes (OBC)
- 10 Ministers from Scheduled Castes (SC)
- 5 Ministers from Scheduled Tribes (ST)
- 5 Ministers from minority communities
The Modi Cabinet 3.0 will hold its first meeting on June 10, 2024. We will have to wait and see who gets which portfolio and if others will be added to the cabinet. Stay tuned to ISH News for updates.
