After taking charge of the office for the third time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held the first cabinet meeting on Monday in New Delhi. He allocated portfolios to 71 ministries who took oath in the Modi 3.0 Cabinet on Sunday.
Addressing the Cabinet Ministers, PM Modi directed them not to make “unnecessary statements” and speak only when “necessary on issues regarding their respective ministries”. He also requested the Union Ministers to “reach the Ministry on time” because it positively impacts the staff.
The Prime Minister also encouraged the Cabinet ministers to “share the files with their Minister of State and involve them in the decision-making process of the respective Ministry.”
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During the first cabinet meeting, PM Modi approved the construction of 3 crore additional rural and urban houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
“The Cabinet has decided to further expand the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and construct 3 crore additional rural and urban houses. This decision underscores the government’s commitment to addressing the housing needs of our nation and ensuring that every citizen leads a better quality of life. The expansion of PMAY also highlights our government’s commitment to inclusive growth and social welfare,” PM Modi wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The composition of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) remains unchanged in the new NDA government, with Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman and S Jaishankar retaining their portfolios of Defence, Home, Finance and External Affairs.
The four BJP leaders had the same portfolios as the previous NDA government. The cabinet formation and portfolio allocation also reflected the reality of numbers in the NDA government, with BJP’s allies having greater representation.
The new faces include BJP leaders JP Nadda, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Manohar Lal Khattar. Some ministers of the previous NDA government saw a change in portfolios. These include Mansukh Mandaviya, Pralhad Joshi, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Kiren Rijiju.
(With inputs from agencies)