Modi 3.0 updates: Highlights on June 10, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up former President Pratibha Patil and former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H.D. Devegowda and sought their blessings as he began his third term, official sources said.

The Prime Minister spoke to them soon after he assumed charge on Monday morning. PM Modi had taken oath along with 71 other Ministers, including 30 Cabinet-rank Ministers, at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday evening.

PTI

JP leader from Jharkhand Annapurna Devi has been appointed as the new Women and Child Development Minister as part of the NDA Government’s third term.

Savitri Thakur is the new Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, according to an official statement.

With challenges such as raising the legal age of marriage for women, combating malnutrition among women and children, and addressing women’s safety issues, the new ministers face a formidable agenda.

Ms. Devi, 55, succeeds Smriti Irani in this role.

PTI

A die-hard RSS loyalist and long-time BJP worker Pralhad Joshi has been appointed New & Renewable Energy Minister, who replaces RK Singh as he lost the election from the Arrah constituency. Mr. Joshi is a five-time member of Parliament from the saffron party’s bastion of Dharwad in Karnataka.

His main challenge will be to push the National Green Hydrogen Mission in the country. The government had also provided ₹19,744 crore for setting a manufacturing capacity of electrolysers used for producing green hydrogen. The mission also provides incentives to produce green hydrogen and ammonia.

PTI

Manohar Lal Khattar has been appointed the Housing and Urban Affairs Minister in the new Union Cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

The 70-year-old former Haryana chief minister will replace Hardeep Singh Puri who has retained the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry in the new government.

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry is mandated to execute various projects including Modi government’s flagship PM Awas Yojna, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) and the ambitious Central Vista redevelopment plan.

PTI

Amit Shah has retained the Home Ministry, while Rajnath Singh will be the Defence Minister in the 18th Lok Sabha, a PIB release said on Monday. 

S. Jaishankar and Nirmala Sitharaman also retained External Affairs and Finance portfolios respectively, the sources added. Nitin Gadkari also retained the Road Transport Ministry and Dharmendra Pradhan will continue as the Education Minister, according to the release. S. Jaishankar and Nirmala Sitharaman also retained External Affairs and Finance portfolios respectively, the release said. Ashwini Vaishnaw has retained Railway and Meity portfolios, while also getting charge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the new Agriculture and Rural Development Minister while J.P. Nadda gets the Health Ministry, it said. 

Former Haryana CM M.L. Khattar gets Power while Kiren Rijiju gets Parliamentary Affairs portfolios. Sarbananda Sonowal will continue as the Shipping Minister, the release said.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will be the new Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel while Piyush Goyal has retained the Commerce and Industry Ministry. 

Former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi gets MSME Ministry, Rajiv Ranjan Singh of JD(U) gets Panchayati Raj and Animal Husbandry. TDP leader K. Ram Mohan Naidu is the new Civil Aviation Minister, while LJP-RV leader Chirag Paswan gets the Food Processing Ministry.

Bandi Sanjay Kumar is the new Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs. G. Kishan Reddy becomes the Minister of Coal as well as the Minister of Mines. G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar were sworn in on June 9 as Cabinet Minister and MoS respectively.

RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary is MoS (independent charge) in Skill Development Ministry and MoS in Education Ministry. Jitendra Singh is back as a Minister with six portfolios, including independent charge for Science and Tech, Earth Sciences, while he will also continue as MoS PMO.

Jual Oram got the Tribal Affairs portfolio, while Giriraj Singh got the Textiles portfolio. Bhupendra Yadav has retained the Environment Ministry. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat got the Culture and Tourism portfolios, while Hardeep Singh Puri retained the Petroleum Ministry.

- PTI

Congress leader Sachin Pilot said the Opposition will not allow the new BJP-led NDA Government to function in an “arbitrary” manner, following a fractured mandate in the Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking to reporters in Tonk where he inaugurated a ‘Shaheed Smarak’, the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi.

PTI

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann put on a brave face over the AAP’s drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, saying that the party has won three seats in the State compared to just one in 2019 and increased its vote share.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress dealt a blow to the ruling AAP and the Opposition BJP and SAD, winning seven seats in the high-stakes polls in Punjab even as two independents registered a surprise victory.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) could win only three seats -- Anandpur Sahib, Hoshiarpur and Sangrur -- as against the target of winning all constituencies in the just-concluded elections.

PTI

At 36, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu is the youngest Minister while 79-year-old Jitan Ram Manjhi is the oldest Minister to be inducted in the 18th Lok Sabha. Mr. Naidu, Srikakulam MP from Telugu Desam Party (TDP), was sworn in as a Minister of State (MoS) in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new Council of Ministers. 

Another young Minister is Raksha Khadse (37), an MP from Maharashtra. She won the Raver Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra. Mr. Manjhi was sworn in as a Union Cabinet Minister in Modi 3.0 Government.

PTI

A 73-member Union Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi took oath on the 9th of June. A vast majority of BJP ministers have been retained even as about half a dozen Cabinet slots have been given to allied parties in the NDA government, the first since 2014 where the BJP doesn’t have a majority of its own. 

Tune in here

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held the first meeting of his new Cabinet. The newly-inducted Ministers arrived at the Prime Minister’s 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, residence around 5 p.m. and attended the meeting, a day after taking oath. The meeting was held even as PM Modi is yet to announce the portfolios of the new Ministers.

Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed in New Delhi.

“We discussed a wide range of topics to further strengthen the natural bond that India and Bangladesh share, based on trust, cooperation, and a commitment to mutual growth,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on his WhatsApp channel.

The TDP Legislature Party will meet on June 11 to elect N. Chandrababu Naidu as its leader, party spokesperson Jyotshna Tirunagari said. The meeting is expected to take place on Tuesday morning.

“Telugu Desam Legislature Party meeting will be held tomorrow [Tuesday]. Naidu will be elected as the leader,” she told PTI. Following this, leaders of the NDA comprising TDP, BJP and Janasena would meet Governor S. Abdul Nazeer and stake claim to form the government, she said.

According to Ms. Tirunagari, there could be an invitation from the Governor to form the government by Tuesday evening. 

Along with Mr. Naidu, more leaders could be sworn-in on Wednesday. The names of those who could take oath could be finalised on Tuesday night.

Mr. Naidu is scheduled to take oath as CM on June 12 at 11:27 am at Kesarapalli IT park near Gannavaram Airport. 

- PTI

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit Wayanad on June 12. He secured a massive victory in Wayanad constituency in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. He defeated his nearest rival and CPI candidate Annie Raja by 3,64,422 votes. 

Mr. Gandhi is visiting the constituency amidst speculations that he would give up the seat in Kerala and retain Rae Bareli, a traditional stronghold of the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh.

-PTI

Industry leaders have extended their congratulations to Mr. Modi and expressed confidence in the government’s ability to continue economic reforms and sustain the country’s growth momentum. 

Sanjiv Puri, President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said, “Building upon a strong growth rate of 8.2% for 2023-24, the new Government under his visionary leadership can usher in the next phase of reforms to make the most of the global opportunities and build on the robust fundamentals of the Indian economy.”

Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, said, “As India continues to think and act ‘big’ under Modi Ji, continuity in the reform agenda will carry India forward on the path to becoming a developed nation.”

They are optimistic that the third term of the Modi government will ensure the continuation of progressive reforms and a strong foundation to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047 will be laid down. “The third consecutive term for the NDA paves the way for continuity in the reform agenda. We look forward to progressive policies and measures that will foster economic and social development and build a strong foundation for Viksit Bharat,” said Anish Shah, President of the industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Industry body Assocham said that they are confident that under PM Modi leadership, “India would go from strength to strength gaining further stature in the global ranking, powered by inclusive and sustainable economic growth for the next several years”. 

-ANI

Actor and BJP MP from Thrissur Suresh Gopi has clarified that he is not going to resign from the Union Council of Ministers. 

Pro-Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has accused the Congress party of betraying the Maratha community’s interests and warned the party would face repercussions in the upcoming the Maharashtra Assembly elections.Vijay Wadettiwar, who is the Leader of Opposion and a senior OBC leader of the Congress, had opposed reserving a portion of the OBC quota for the Maratha community. Reacting to Congress leader’s stance, he said, “The Congress sought votes from the Maratha community in the recent Lok Sabha elections, and now they are acting against our interests. They will face the consequences in the Vidhan Sabha elections.” 

The newly-elected Congress MP from Jalna, Kalyan Kale, visited Mr. Jarange-Patil at Antarwali Sarathi.

Mr. Jarange-Patil is currently on the third day of his indefinite fast.

CPI(M) Politburo has said the people of India defended the Constitution by depriving the BJP of a majority on its own. It said, “INDIA bloc will have to remain vigilant to resolutely oppose and defeat all efforts to strengthen Hindutva authoritarian tendencies.” 

Soon after taking oath on June 9, Union Minister of State-designate Suresh Gopi put the political rumour mill on overdrive by telling television journalists that he hoped the BJP national leadership would relieve him of his post. “I have to do cinema at all costs”, he said. Mr. Gopi dismissed reports that he felt let down by the BJP’s failure to assign him a Cabinet post or the office of a Union Minister of State with independent charge. “I have not demanded anything. I will continue to work for my constituents in Thrissur,” he added. Read the report here.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Mr. Modi on being sworn in as Prime Minister of India for a third term, in the first response by Islamabad to election results across the border.

He posted the brief message on X a day after Mr. Modi took his oath and nearly a week after election results were declared on June 4.

PM Narendra Modi’s government must tackle the problem of unemployment in the country, especially in the unorganised sector and in small and medium enterprises, former NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said. 

Mr. Kumar emphasised that the government now must finalise the four labour codes as it has been delayed beyond expectations.

“I think the most important reforms that the Modi government must take is one to tackle the unemployment problem, especially in the unorganised and the small and medium enterprises,” he told PTI in an interview.

According to a recent International Labour Organization (ILO) report, the share of unemployed youths in India’s total unemployed population was nearly 83% in 2022. “Therefore the large corporations have done very well and, and also those who are highly skilled have done well. But at the lower end, people are without jobs and firms are struggling to expand their capacity,” he said.

-PTI

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule on June 10 said she was not surprised that the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) did not get a berth in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new Cabinet.

Speaking to reporters in Pune on the 25th foundation day of the NCP, founded by her father, the Baramati MP said as the NDA holds its first Cabinet meeting, it should grant full loan waiver for farmers.

“During the UPA regime, the NCP worked as an ally in the Manmohan Singh government. Manmohan ji showed trust and love towards Pawar saheb, and he got two and a half Cabinet berths although the party had only eight or nine MPs at the time,” she said. - PTI

Day after being sworn in as a minister into PM Modi’s government, BJP MP from Kerala Suresh Gopi on June 10 indicated that he wanted to “get relieved from the Cabinet as he wants to do films”.

The actor-politician won from the Thrissur constituency in 2024 LS polls, creating history as the first ever for the BJP MP from Kerala.

Dr. S. Jaishankar on June 10 called on Bangladesh PM Hasina, Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe, Maldives President Muizzu, indicating his portfolio remained the same at MEA.

TMC MP Sagarika Ghose on June 10 said the BJP should elect a new leader and “replace Prime Minister Narendra Modi” since he could not get a majority in the Lok Sabha elections in spite of a campaign centred entirely on him.

Ms. Ghose, a Rajya Sabha MP, said TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee switched off all her lights and sat in darkness at her home during the entire swearing-in ceremony of Modi and Central Ministers on Sunday evening.

“To all those celebrating the “swearing-in” of @narendramodi, a message from India’s only woman chief minister @MamataOfficial. She switched off all her lights and sat in darkness during the entire so-called “ceremony” for a “prime minister” who has resoundingly lost the mandate and has been rejected by the people,” she posted on X.

- PTI

As many as 37 ministers have been dropped from the government in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term and these include seven with Cabinet rank - prominent among them being Smriti Irani, Anurag Thakur and Narayan Rane.

Parshottam Rupala, Arjun Munda, R.K. Singh and Mahendra Natha Pandey, also held Cabinet positions in the second Modi government but were not retained in the Council of Ministers that took oath on Sunday While all three Ministers with Independent Charge have been retained, out of 42 ministers of State, 30 have been dropped. 

BJP president J.P. Nadda’s inclusion in the new Council of Ministers of the NDA government on Sunday has indicated an imminent overhauling of the party’s organisational structure, given that his tenure is to end in June.

Mr. Nadda’s term as the party chief had been extended by six months in January in order for him to oversee the general elections.

On Sunday, he took oath as a member of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Council of Ministers. It is understood that Mr. Nadda belonging to Himachal Pradesh had put paid to Hamirpur MP Anurag Singh Thakur’s inclusion since he too comes from the same State. The five-time MP held the Information and Broadcasting and Sports portfolios in the second term of the Modi government.

Having secured the numbers to form the government, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is administered the oath of office on June 9. The Hindu has listed down the stated policy priorities and biographies of the incoming Council of Ministers. 

Amit Shah

The Gandhinagar MP facilitated some of the boldest policies of the erstwhile government, including the dilution of the provisions of Article 370. Mr. Shah was also among the star-campaigners for the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) during the polls. 

Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister in the now erstwhile government, Rajnath Singh secured the Lucknow seat by a margin of more than 1.35 lakh votes over his nearest rival of the Samajwadi Party. Being the Defence Minister, the elected MP from Lucknow has been at the forefront of representing the government’s stance on issues concerning the criticism accorded to the Agniveer scheme and the situation at the Indo-China border. 

After being sworn in as Prime Minister for the 3rd time, PM Modi Narendra Modi’s signed his first file authorising release of 17th instalment of PM Kisan Nidhi.

“This will benefits 9.3 crore farmers and distribute around ₹20,000 crores. Ours is a Government fully committed to Kisan Kalyan. It is therefore fitting that the first file signed on taking charge is related to farmer welfare. We want to keep working even more for the farmers and the agriculture sector in the times to come,” said PM Modi.

East Delhi Lok Sabha MP Harsh Malhotra was on June 9 sworn-in as a Union Minister of State in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr. Malhotra, 58, a first-time MP, was picked as the BJP candidate from the East Delhi constituency after the party dropped its sitting MP Gautam Gambhir. He defeated Aam Aadmi Party candidate Kuldeep Kumar.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on June 10 congratulated G. Kishan Reddy, K. Ram Mohan Naidu and other newly-sworn in Union Ministers from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

He urged them to work for implementation of the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 and to get funds and projects from the Centre to both the States, according to a post on X by Revanth Reddy. - PTI