Anurag, Smriti, Scindia on key Cabinet panels

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 13

The government today reconstituted all Cabinet committees, giving a major break to younger ministers.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju have been included in the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, replacing their predecessors Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has been expanded to include newcomers, including Environment and Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani, Ports and Shipping Minister Sarbanand Sonowal, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh.

The elevation is especially important for Yadav and Sonowal as their predecessors were not part of the panel previously. Yadav is also part of the Cabinet Committee on Employment and Skill Development.

In the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, Social Justice Minister Virendra Kumar has replaced Thawarchand Gehlot, who has taken charge as the Governor of Karnataka.

A major break has been given to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is now part of the Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth, although his predecessor was not on the panel. Railways, IT and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and MSME Minister Narayan Rane are also part of the panel.

Among special invitees are JDU’s RCP Singh, Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy in the Committee on Employment and Skill Development; Ministers of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Meghwal and V Muraleedharan in the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.

The all-important Cabinet Committee on Security remains unchanged with PM Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman among members.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet will also continue to have two members as before—the PM and the Home Minister.