Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar & Nirmala Sitharaman: Ministers Who Retained Portfolios

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's top four ministers – Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar – have retained their respective home, defence, finance and external affairs portfolios, according to an official statement.

A day after Narendra Modi took the oath as the country's Prime Minister for a record third term, along with his council of 72 ministers, PM Modi chaired his first high-level cabinet meeting to deliberate upon the portfolio allocation for the ministers sworn in to the new government. Shah will stay with Union Ministry of Home Affairs while Singh will retain the Defence portfolio. Jaishankar will continue to look after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) while Sitharaman has been tasked to handle the Union Ministry of Finance, much in line with the 2019 allocation of the Cabinet portfolios in the Modi 2.0 government, which gave the elected representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – a key player in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – the charge of top five Raisina Hill ministries.

There will be no change in the five big ministries of the Government of India, sources told Republic earlier during the day, adding that Home, Finance, MEA, Defence, Road and Transport Ministry will likely remain with the same ministers at the helm.

Amit Shah

Recognised for his political acumen and strategic prowess, senior BJP leader Amit Shah has played a pivotal role in the phenomenal growth of the saffron party which helped it to cross the 300-seat mark in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Known as the second-most influential figure in the country after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a person dedicated to the saffron ideology, 59-year-old Shah rose as the BJP's master organiser when its alliance secured 73 seats from Uttar Pradesh in 2014 under his leadership as the party's general secretary.

Often likened to the modern-day Chanakya, Shah made history by becoming the youngest president of the Bharatiya Janata Party at 49 in 2014, later assuming office as one of the youngest Union Home Ministers at 54 in 2019.

Born into a prominent Gujarati family in Mumbai in 1964, Shah's political journey began at the age of 16 when he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a 'Swayamsevak' in 1980, swiftly immersing himself in the activities of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) soon after.

By demonstrating unwavering commitment to the party's principles, exceptional organisational skills, and eloquence, Shah swiftly climbed the ranks, becoming the joint secretary of the ABVP's Gujarat unit within two years.

Transitioning into mainstream politics in 1987, Shah aligned with the youth wing of the BJP, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).

His appointment as the secretary of the BJP's Ahmedabad city in 1989 marked a significant milestone in his political trajectory.

Shah's influence continued to grow as he assumed key roles, such as serving as the chief campaigner and election strategist for stalwarts like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani.

His electoral victories in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 and 2024 further solidified his position as a formidable leader.

Throughout his career, Shah has held various key positions, including national treasurer of the BJYM in 1997 and multiple terms as an MLA from Gujarat. His tenure as Gujarat's home minister saw him managing an extensive portfolio of 12 crucial departments.

Among his many achievements, Shah's tenure as the BJP president from 2014 to 2019 witnessed significant electoral victories and organisational growth across various states, solidifying the party's presence nationwide.

Transitioning to the role of Union Home Minister in the second Modi government, Shah continued to play a pivotal role in shaping key policies, including the abrogation of Article 370 and the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Known for his meticulous approach, Shah's tenure has been marked by proactive decision-making and a commitment to strengthening national security and justice systems, exemplifying his enduring influence in Indian politics.

In a bold move that aimed at reshaping the landscape of the country's criminal justice system, Shah introduced three revolutionary laws aimed at modernising and replacing outdated British-era legislation.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 are set to replace the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act, marking a significant shift towards a more efficient and effective legal framework.

These laws are scheduled to come into effect on July 1, 2024.

Shah has also been instrumental in quelling Maoist violence and restoring peace in the Northeastern states through strategic peace accords.

Rajnath Singh 

A strategist and a quintessential political leader with grassroots connect, Rajnath Singh is credited with expanding the BJP's organisational network in the Hindi heartland state of Uttar Pradesh in the 1990s and the subsequent decades.

Hailing from the Chandauli district of the politically crucial state, Singh is known as a moderate face and is widely respected by leaders cutting across party lines.

The 72-year-old Singh, whose illustrious political career spanned over five decades, on Sunday took oath as a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet.

Long seen as a protege of BJP patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Singh started his political career as a student activist with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and went on to become the BJP national president in 2005.

The senior BJP leader was elected for another term as the party president in January 2013.

In the Lok Sabha polls, Singh retained the prestigious Lucknow constituency.

In the first tenure of Prime Minister Modi, Singh served as Union Home Minister.

As the defence minister since 2019, he initiated several path-breaking measures to strengthen India's combat readiness along the border with China as well as boost the country's defence manufacturing.

Under his leadership, the defence ministry pursued an aggressive policy to enhance infrastructure along the frontier region that significantly helped faster military mobilisation in sensitive sectors.

His tenure as the defence minister also saw India ramping up its maritime prowess in the strategic waterways in the Indian Ocean region.

Born on July 10, 1951, in a farmer's family at village Babhora in Tehsil Chakia of Varanasi district (now district Chandauli) in Uttar Pradesh, Singh received his basic education in his native place and completed his MSc in Physics from Gorakhpur University.

He entered politics in 1974 and in 1977, and was elected as an MLA in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. 

Singh was elected as MLC for Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council in 1988 and became Education Minister in 1991.

He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1994. On November 22, 1999, he became the Union Surface Transport Minister in the Vajpayee government.

Singh became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh on October 28, 2000, and was twice elected as MLA from Haidargarh constituency in Barabanki.

On May 24, 2003, he became Union Minister of Agriculture. Singh assumed charge as BJP national president on December 31, 2005, a post he held till December 19, 2009.

S Jaishankar

Jaishankar, whose illustrious diplomatic career spanned four decades, on Sunday took oath as a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet.

With the 69-year-old retaining the external affairs ministry portfolio, his immediate focus area would now remain three-fold: the challenges arising out of China's bullying tactics along the frontier, protecting India's interest in view of the ongoing situation in West Asia and the conflict in Ukraine.

Known for his extraordinary sharpness and efficiency, the external affairs minister has earned kudos within India, especially from the youths, primarily for his decisive articulation of India's foreign policy priorities.

As the external affairs minister, Jaishankar, who is an ardent admirer of Modi, displayed with confidence his ability to clearly articulate India's positions on a range of complex issues on the global stage.

From blunting Western criticism of New Delhi's procurement of crude oil from Moscow in the wake of the war in Ukraine to crafting a firm policy approach to deal with an assertive China, Jaishankar emerged as one of the leading ministers with an impressive record of performance.

He has also been credited with managing to bring matters of foreign policy to domestic discourse, especially during India's presidency of the G20.

Jaishankar joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977. He served as India's foreign secretary during the first tenure of the Modi government (2015-18). He had also been the Ambassador to the United States (2013-15), China (2009-2013) and Czech Republic (2000-2004).

He was India's high commissioner to Singapore (2007-2009).

Jaishankar has served in other diplomatic assignments in Embassies in Moscow, Colombo, Budapest and Tokyo, as well as in the Ministry of External Affairs and the President's Secretariat.

He was also the president of the Global Corporate Affairs at Tata Sons Private Ltd after he retired as the foreign secretary.

He is a graduate of St. Stephen's College at the University of Delhi and has done his Masters in Political Science and an M. Phil and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.

He is a recipient of the Padma Shri award in 2019 and has written a widely acclaimed best-selling book: 'The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World'. 

Nirmala Sitharaman

Sitharaman, who joined the likes of Arun Jaitley and Manmohan Singh by serving a full term as Finance Minister and is credited with carrying forward second-generation reforms, created a record by being the first woman to be sworn in as minister for the third consecutive term of the Modi government.

Being a fiery spokesperson of the BJP, she was inducted into the Cabinet when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of the NDA government in 2014.

As a staunch defender of the Modi government's economic policies and executor, she created a record when she was appointed as the first female Raksha Mantri, or Defence Minister, in 2017. Prior to that, she was industry and commerce minister.

When her mentor Arun Jaitley took ill, Sitharaman was given the charge of the finance portfolio in the then re-elected Modi government after the 2019 general elections, during which the BJP won its highest seats of 303.

She became the first full-time woman Finance Minister in Independent India.  

Soon after taking over, her first major reform was a cut in base corporate tax to 22 percent from 30 percent to prop up the economy hit by demonetisation and GST implementation.

The following year, India weathered the COVID-19 pandemic with an array of policy measures announced for the poor and continued its tag of the fastest growing major economy and a 'bright spot' in the world economy.

To overcome the hardship during the pandemic, the government announced a special economic package worth Rs 20 lakh crore equivalent to roughly 10 percent of India's GDP.

She steered the economy from nearly 24 percent contraction in the first quarter of FY21 to the fastest-growing world economy.

Despite fiscal expansion, she continued to follow the path of fiscal consolidation and was successful in bringing down the fiscal deficit to 5.6 percent of GDP from the earlier estimate of 5.8 percent in FY24.

She also set a record by presenting the sixth Budget in a row – five annual Budgets and one interim –  a feat achieved so far only by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai.

Born in Madurai on August 18, 1959 to Narayan Sitharaman (who worked in the Railways) and Savitri (a homemaker), Nirmala Sitharaman studied economics at Tiruchirapalli's Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College.

She then moved to the capital to pursue her Master's and M.Phil in the subject from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Sitharaman's political career began in 2008 when she joined the BJP (she returned to India in the early 1990s), and in two years became the party's second woman spokesperson after Sushma Swaraj, fielding questions from journalists at the party headquarters and also becoming a familiar face on television debates.

(With inputs from PTI)