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In A First, PM Modi's New Cabinet Has Five Northeast Politicians As Ministers
Writer: Devyani Madaik
A media enthusiast, Devyani believes in learning on the job and there is nothing off limits when it comes to work. Writing is her passion and she is always ready for a debate as well.
India, 8 July 2021 6:10 AM GMT
Editor : Palak Agrawal |
Palak a journalism graduate believes in simplifying the complicated and writing about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. She calls herself a " hodophile" or in layman words- a person who loves to travel.
Creatives : Devyani Madaik
A media enthusiast, Devyani believes in learning on the job and there is nothing off limits when it comes to work. Writing is her passion and she is always ready for a debate as well.
The five ministers are from four of the eight Northeastern states, including Assam, Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.
For the first time in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure, five politicians from the northeast region have joined as ministers after the recent cabinet reshuffle. This is the highest-ever representation of the region in the cabinet.
The five ministers are from four of the eight Northeastern states, including Assam, Manipur, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh. There were many firsts for individual states, including the designation of a Union Minister from Tripura, NDTV reported.
Profiles
Sarbananda Sonowal
Former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal took oath as a Union Cabinet Minister. He is heading the Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Shipping, Ports, and Waterways.
Sarbananda served as Assam Chief Minister between 2016-2021, and as the Union Minister of State (Sports, Entrepreneurship and Skill Development and Youth Affairs) from 2014-2016.
The minister represented the Moran constituency as an MLA from 2011 to 2004. He has been elected as a Lok Sabha member twice from 2004-2009.
Kiren Rijiju
Arunachal Pradesh's Kiren Rijuju was sworn in as the Union Cabinet Minister and now heads the Ministry of Law and Justice, succeeding Ravi Shankar Prasad. The Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal West previously served as the Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports and Ayush and Minister of State, Minority Affairs.
A law degree holder from Delhi University, Rijiju was first elected to Lok Sabha after the 2004 general election. He lost the 2009 election and was re-elected in 2014 and 2019.
Rameswar Teli
Assam's Rameswar Teli retained his designation as the Minister of State. He now leads as the MoS in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The Lok Sabha MP from the Dilburgh constituency was the Union Minister of State - Food Processing Industries.
Pratima Bhoumik
Bhoumik is the new face in PM Modi's cabinet. She is the first Tripura resident and the second woman from the state after Bijoya Chakravarty, to become a Union Minister.
The science graduate has been active in politics since 1991. She contested the Assembly polls from the Dhanpur constituency against former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in 1998 and 2018 but lost both times. The following year, in 2019, she won the Lok Sabha elections from West Tripura, defeated sitting MP Shankar Prasad Dutta.
Bhoumik has served various profiles, including as a member of the BJP state committee, Vice President of BJP state youth and women wings, Pradesh Vice President for two terms, and the member of Hindi Salahkar Samiti and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. She also headed the Dhanpur Mandal.
Dr RK Ranjan Singh
An academic-turned-politician, Singh is another fresh face in the cabinet. The first-time Lok Sabha MP from Inner Manipur has taken oath as the Minister of State Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. He is also a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment and Forest.
The cabinet reshuffle saw 36 new ministers joining the central government, and four high-profile ministers resigned. The cabinet now has 77 ministers.
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