Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet of 57 ministers took oath at a grand event at Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 30. Of the total 57, twenty-five lawmakers hold the ministerial portfolio in Modi cabinet 2.0. The swearing-in ceremony was a grand affair with 8,000 guests including leaders of various countries, industrialists, politicians, celebrities from B-town and spiritual leaders.
On Thursday, May 30, six women lawmakers administered the ministerial oath. However, Only three - Smriti Irani, Nirmala Sitharaman and Harsimrat Kaur Badal - are Cabinet ministers while the other three - Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Renuka Singh Saruta and Debasree - are ministers of state.
Nirmala Sitharaman
Two time member of Rajya Sabha since 2016, Nirmala Sitharaman became first woman MP to take oath as cabinet minister on May 30 as the Narendra Modi led BJP government came to power for the second consecutive term following a thumping majority in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sitharaman was one of three women ministers who were sworn into the cabinet for the current government.
In Modi Cabinet 2.0, Nirmala Satharaman has been allotted two portfolios - Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs. With this Nirmala Sitharaman has become the first woman to become Finance Minister.
In the previous government, Sitharaman held the portfolio of Defence Minister. She was the second woman to hold the Defence portfolio after Indira Gandhi.
Smriti Irani
The other prominent leader who emerged as a leading political figure in the cabinet having wrested Amethi out of the hands of Rahul Gandhi and thus the Congress party, Smriti Irani was welcomed with thundering applause as she walked the stage to take oath.
In Modi Cabinet 2.0, Smriti Irani will also hold two portfolios - Minister of Women and Child Development; and Minister of Textiles. The Women and Child Development Ministry was led by Maneka Sanjay Gandhi in the previous government.
Veteran playback singer Asha Bhosle took to Twitter to praise Smriti Irani who helped her reach home safely when she was stranded amidst huge gathering. “I was stranded in the crazy rush post PM oath ceremony. No one offered to help me except @smritiirani who saw my plight & made sure I reached home safely. She cares & that’s why she won,” Asha Bhosle posted on her Twitter page.
I was stranded in the crazy rush post PM oath ceremony. No one offered to help me except @smritiirani who saw my plight & made sure I reached home safely. She cares & that’s why she won. pic.twitter.com/vDV84PrIVp
— ashabhosle (@ashabhosle) May 30, 2019
Harsimrat Kaur Badal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also retained Punjab MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) as an integral part of his cabinet, following the tradition to keep important allies in key positions. Harsimrat Kaur, who was the Minister of Food Processing Industries, has been allotted the same portfolio in the Modi Cabinet 2.0.
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Women Lawmakers Who Didn’t Make It to Modi Team 2.0
Absent from the new cabinet were Maneka Sanjay Gandhi and Uma Bharti, who held the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation respectively.
Another notable absentee happens to be one of BJP's senior-most leaders Sushma Swaraj who did not take oath as a cabinet minister in Modi's 2.0.
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It is significant to note that the newly elected Lok Sabha has the highest representation of women with 78 women MPs, which is significantly higher than 62 in 2014.
