Centre forms Cabinet committees, BJP allies get key positions: Who gets what
The members of the cabinet committees include union ministers from the BJP and its NDA partners.
The Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government on Wednesday constituted various cabinet committees, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allies getting the high-level positions.
The members of the cabinet committees include union ministers from the BJP and its NDA partners - Janata Dal (U), Telugu Desam Party, Janata Dal (S), Shiv Sena and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).
Let's take a look at the Cabinet committees and its members:
Cabinet Committee on Security
According to an official notification, the Cabinet Committee on Security - the highest decision-making body on all issues related to security and strategic affairs - comprises Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, home minister Amit Shah, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and external affairs minister S Jaishankar.
Also read: In Rajya Sabha, PM Narendra Modi slams Congress, says people rejected propaganda
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
This cabinet committee comprises Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Jaishankar, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and heavy industries and steel minister H D Kumaraswamy.
Other ministers in the committee include - commerce minister Piyush Goyal, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and minister of panchayati raj and fisheries Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh.
Notably, the committee discusses and makes decisions related to issues of economy and trade.
Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs
The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, which handles major political issues of the country, comprises of Modi, Rajnath Singh, Shah, Gadkari, Sitharaman, Goyal, health minister J P Nadda, civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, minister of micro, small and medium enterprises Jitan Ram Manjhi, ports and shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, environment minister Bhupender Yadav, women and child development minister Annpurna Devi, parliamentary affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, and coal minister G Kishan Reddy.
Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs
The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs comprises Rajnath Singh, Shah, Nadda, Sitharaman, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Naidu, Rijiju, social justice minister Virendra Kumar, tribal affairs Minister Jual Oram, and Minister of Jal Shakti C R Patil.
The committee also includes special invitees - union minister of state for law (Independent Charge) Arjun Ram Meghwal, and minister of state for law L Murugan.
Notably, the committee takes decisions like convening parliamentary sessions.
Appointments Committee
Like previous years, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet comprises only two members - Modi and Shah. This committee makes appointments to top bureaucratic, strategic and security posts in the country.
Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth
The committee comprises PM Modi, Rajnath Singh, Shah, Gadkari, Sitharaman, Goyal, consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi, textiles minister Giriraj Singh, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri, and minister of food processing industries Chirag Paswan.
The special invitees in the committee include minister of state for statistics Rao Inderjit Singh, and minister of Aayush Prataprao Jadhav.
Notably, this body handles all investments and growth-related issues.
Also read: Opposition walks out during PM Modi's Rajya Sabha speech, slammed by Jagdeep Dhankhar
Cabinet Committee on Accommodation
This committee, which makes decisions related to the accommodation of Union ministers, bureaucrats, and senior government functionaries, comprises Shah, Gadkari, Sitharaman, Goyal, and housing and urban affairs Minister Manohar Lal as its members.
Union minister of state for Personnel and PMO Jitendra Singh is a special invitee in the committee.
Cabinet Committee on Skill, Employment and Livelihood
The committee, which handles issues related to skill, employment and livelihood, comprises Modi, Rajnath Singh, Shah, Gadkari, Sitharaman, Vaishnaw, Pradhan, Yadav, Puri, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and employment minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
Union minister of state for skill development Jayant Choudhary is the special invitee to the committee.
(With inputs from PTI)