1. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has decided to expand his Council of Ministers by inducting 19 new Ministers.
2. The selection framework clearly laid out by the Prime Minister was to bring in doers and performers who would deliver on his vision of Development and Good Governance, and further his central priority of Gaon, Garib andKisan.
3. The expansion comes after an exhaustive whetting and selection process to find the best talent. People were assessed on the value they would bring to the Union Council of Ministers.
4. This marks a firm departure from the usual routine of frequent changes based on caste, religion and other time serving political considerations – and is a firm endorsement of the brand of Developmental politics that the Prime Minister champions.
A diverse range of factors were considered:
5. Professional Expertise - new Ministers were identified from various walks of life, who would bring to bear their unique rich experience and expertise to their office:
o Mr. PP Chaudhary is senior Supreme Court advocate with over 4 decades of experience in constitutional litigation
o Mr. Subhash Ram Rao Bhamre is a well known doctor with a super specialisation in cancer surgery
o Mr. MJ Akbar is a veteran editor and internationally acclaimed journalist
o Mr. Arjun Ram Meghwal is a former government officer from Rajasthan with rich administrative experience
o Mr. Anil Madhav Dave has published multiple books in Hindi and is active in Narmada River Conservation
6. State Government Experience - State leaders having a hands-on understanding of State and Local-level reality have been identified in particular:
o Mr. Ramesh Jigajinagi – has been Cabinet Minister of Home in Karnataka
o Mr. Purshotam Rupala – has been Cabinet Minister of Agriculture in Gujarat
o Mr. Jaswant Sinh Bhabhor – has been Minister of Tribal Affairs and Rural Development in Gujarat
o Mr. Mahendra Nath Pandey – has been Minister of Urban Development in Uttar Pradesh
7. Central Government Experience:
o Mr. Faggan Kulaste – has been MoS for Tribal Affairs in Govt of India
o Mr. Vijay Goel – has been MoS for Youth Affairs and Sports in Govt of India
8. Youth Dynamism – fresh talent has been identified to bring their own fresh perspective and exuberance:
o Mrs. Anupriya Singh Patel – comes with a strong academic base (LSR + MBA) as well as strong organisational skills
o Mr. Mansukh Mandaviya – has spent a long time in Gujarat’s agricultural sector, including heading Gujarat Agro-Industries Corporation
9. Political Experience - political veterans have been identified to leverage on their decades of experience and understanding:
o 6 term MP + 1 term MLA – Mr. Faggan Singh Kulaste
o 5 term MP + 3 term MLA – Mr. Ramesh Jigajinagi
o 5 term MP – Mr. SS Ahluwalia
o 4 term MP – Mr. Vijay Goel and Rajan Gohain
10. Education – people with strong academic backgrounds have been inducted:
o Mr. Mahendra Nath Pandey – has a PhD from Banaras Hindu University
o Mr. Subhash Ram Rao Bhamre – has a Super Specialisation in cancer surgery
o Mr. CR Chaudhary – studied rural development at University of Birmingham
11. Social Diversity – people from all communities and social backgrounds have been brought in:
o ST – 2 leaders (Mr. Jaswant Sinh Bhabhor & Mr. Faggan Singh Kulaste)
o SC – 5 leaders (Mr. Ajay Tamta, Mr. Ramdas Athalwale, Mr. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Mr. Ramesh Jigajinagi & Mrs. Krishna Raj)
o Minority – 2 leaders (Mr. MJ Akbar & Mr. SS Ahluwalia)
o Women – 2 leaders (Mrs. Anupriya Singh Patel & Mrs. Krishna Raj)
12. Geographic Diversity – leaders have been pulled in from all corners of India:
o The 19 Ministers come from more than 10 states - UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Assam
The new Ministers are going to be strategically deployed to further the priority areas of the Government.
