LIVE: Sarbananda Sonowal gets ministry of ports, shipping, waterways and AYUSH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revamped his council of ministers on Wednesday in a first since assuming charges for a second term. The Union council of ministers, which will be expanded with the swearing-in of new entrants this evening, is expected to have more representation from socially and economically backward communities, of women and people with administrative and legislative experience, people aware of the matter said.

As many as 43 new ministers were sworn in Wednesday evening in the Prime Minister's new cabinet. In another pointer to the imminent Cabinet reshuffle, social justice and empowerment minister Thaawarchand Gehlot’s appointment as Karnataka governor caused another ministerial vacancy.

Ahead of the rejig, several ministers resigned from their posts, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan was one of them. Union ministers Babul Supriyo, Santosh Gangwar, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Sadananda Gowda among others stepped down from their office on Wednesday.

The much-awaited expansion came on the heels of the completion of the Modi’s government’s seven years in office. Currently, there are 21 cabinet ministers, nine ministers with independent charge, and 23 ministers of state in the union council of ministers. According to people aware of the details since the council can have up to 81 ministers, at least a dozen inclusions are expected.

Follow all the updates here:

• JUL 07, 2021 11:21 PM IST

  Meet the new brigade of Modi's ministers

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday revealed which portfolios will be allocated to the newly inducted lawmakers shortly after their oathtaking ceremony. Check the full list here

• JUL 07, 2021 11:14 PM IST

  Sarbananda Sonowal gets ministry of ports, shipping, waterways and AYUSH

  Former Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal was allocated Union ministry of ports, shipping and waterways and ministry of AYUSH.

• JUL 07, 2021 10:42 PM IST

  G Kishan Reddy moves up as culture minister, MHA gets 3 MoS

  With G Kishan Reddy moving up as Union minister for culture, the ministry of home affairs now has three ministers of state - Nityanand Rai, Ajay Kumar and Nishit Pramanik.

• JUL 07, 2021 10:30 PM IST

  Aviation ministery gets MoS, retired general VK Singh to take post

  The aviation ministry also got a minister of state on Wednesday, as Gen VK Singh (retd) joined the post.

• JUL 07, 2021 10:21 PM IST

  Anurag Thakur gets Union ministry of information and broadcasting, LJP's Pashupati Paras gets food ministry

  Anurag Thakur got Union ministry of information and broadcasting, along with youth affairs. LJP leader Pashupati Paras will take charge of food ministry.

• JUL 07, 2021 10:16 PM IST

  Ashwini Vaishnaw gets Railways and IT

  Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha will be the new minister of Railways as well minister of IT and communication.

• JUL 07, 2021 10:09 PM IST

  Mansukh Mandaviya inducted as new Union health minister

  Mansukh Mandaviya inducted as new Union health minister on Wednesday.

• JUL 07, 2021 10:07 PM IST

  Union ministry of housing clubbed with ministry of petroleum, Puri to take charge

  Ministry of health, & chemicals and fertilizers will be clubbed. Hardeep Puri got urban development, housing ministry clubbed with petroleum.

• JUL 07, 2021 10:04 PM IST

  Jyotiraditya Scindia gets Civil Aviation ministry

  Jyotiraditya Scindia appointed Union minister for civil aviation.

• JUL 07, 2021 10:02 PM IST

  PM Modi takes ministry of science and technology, Shah to monitor ministry of cooperation

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge of ministry of science and technology, while, home minister Amit Shah will monitor ministry of cooperation.

• JUL 07, 2021 09:20 PM IST

  'All possible efforts will be made to fulfil the duties': Anurag Thakur

  Union cabinet minister Anurag Thakur thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah for the opportunity in the cabinet. "I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah for giving me this chance. All possible efforts will be made to fulfil the duties," ANI quoted Thakur as saying.

• JUL 07, 2021 08:46 PM IST

  PM Modi congratulates ministers who took oath today

  I congratulate all the colleagues who have taken oath today and wish them the very best for their ministerial tenure. We will continue working to fulfil aspirations of the people and build a strong and prosperous India. #Govt4Growth pic.twitter.com/AVz9vL77bO

  — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 7, 2021

• JUL 07, 2021 08:38 PM IST

  Union cabinet, council of ministers meetings to likely take place tomorrow

  The Union cabinet is scheduled to meet tentatively on Thursday at 5pm, while the council of ministers are scheduled to meet on the same day at 7pm.

• JUL 07, 2021 07:49 PM IST

  28 ministers inducted as ministers of state

  28 ministers inducted as ministers of state including Meenakshi Lekhi, Pankaj Choudhary, Anupriya Patel, Shobha Karandlaje on Wednesday.

• JUL 07, 2021 07:46 PM IST

  15 ministers inducted into Union cabinet

  15 Ministers inducted into the Union Cabinet including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sarbananda Sonowal, Anurag Thakur, Kiren Rijiju, Hardeep Puri. pic.twitter.com/rO6WK02Vh2

  — ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2021

• JUL 07, 2021 07:31 PM IST

  Munjapara Mahendrabhai, John Barla, L Murugan, Nisith Pramanik take oath

  #CabinetExpansion2021 | Munjapara Mahendrabhai, John Barla, L Murugan, Nisith Pramanik, take oath as ministers. pic.twitter.com/ZHXVipufSS

  — ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2021

• JUL 07, 2021 07:21 PM IST

  Bharati Pravin Pawar, Bishweswar Tudu and Shantanu Thakur take oath

  Bharati Pravin Pawar, Bishweswar Tudu and Shantanu Thakur took oath as ministers.

• JUL 07, 2021 07:15 PM IST

  Subhas Sarkar, Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh take oath

  Subhas Sarkar, Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh took oath as ministers on Wednesday.

• JUL 07, 2021 07:11 PM IST

  Pratima Bhoumik, first-time MP, takes oath as minister

  

  BJP MP Pratima Bhoumik

• JUL 07, 2021 07:02 PM IST

  BL Verma, Ajay Kumar, Chauhan Devusinh take oath

  #CabinetExpansion2021 | BL Verma, Ajay Kumar, Chauhan Devusinh, take oath as ministers. pic.twitter.com/tVsNIbJM9X

  — ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2021

• JUL 07, 2021 07:00 PM IST

  A Narayanaswamy, Kaushal Kishore and Ajay Bhatt take oath

  A Narayanaswamy, Kaushal Kishore and Ajay Bhatt took oath as ministers on Wednesday.

• JUL 07, 2021 06:54 PM IST

  Meenakshi Lekhi, Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Annpurna Devi take oath as ministers

  BJP leaders Meenakshi Lekhi, Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Annpurna Devi took oath as ministers on Wednesday.

• JUL 07, 2021 06:49 PM IST

  Karnataka BJP leaders Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Shobha Karandlaje take oath

  

  Karnataka BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje

• JUL 07, 2021 06:41 PM IST

  Pankaj Choudhary, Anupriya Singh Patel, Satya Pal Singh Baghel take oath

  #CabinetExpansion2021 | Pankaj Choudhary, Anupriya Singh Patel, and Satya Pal Singh Baghel take oath as ministers. pic.twitter.com/LCBnWLf6pn

  — ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2021

• JUL 07, 2021 06:34 PM IST

  Parshottam Rupala, G Kishan Reddy, Anurag Thakur take oath

  

  Union minister Anurag Thakur

• JUL 07, 2021 06:30 PM IST

  Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rijiju, Mansukh Mandaviya elevated in cabinet reshuffle

  

  Hardeep Singh Puri

• JUL 07, 2021 06:27 PM IST

  LJP leader Pashupati Nath Paras, Delhi BJP leader Bhupender Yadav and JD(U) leader RCP Singh take oath

  #CabinetExpansion2021 | Pashupati Kumar Paras, Kiren Rijiju and Raj Kumar Singh take oath as ministers. pic.twitter.com/XzpZ1ejxdx

  — ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2021

• JUL 07, 2021 06:13 PM IST

  BJP Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia takes oath

  BJP Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia also took oath as Union minister on Wednesday.

• JUL 07, 2021 06:11 PM IST

  Former chief ministers Narayan Rane, Sarabananda Sonowal take oath

  

  Former CM N. Rane

  Former chief minister of Maharashtra Narayan Rane and former chief minister of Assam Sarabananda Sonowal took oath as ministers on Wednesday.

• JUL 07, 2021 06:07 PM IST

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Rashtrapati Bhavan ahead of reshuffle

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Rashtrapati Bhavan Wednesday evening ahead of cabinet reshuffle.

• JUL 07, 2021 05:34 PM IST

  Prakash Javadekar, RS Prasad resign ahead of cabinet reshuffle

  Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad also stepped down from their posts on Wednesday, ahead of cabinet reshuffle.

• JUL 07, 2021 05:18 PM IST

  BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia leaves from residence

  BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia left from his residence, ahead of the Union cabinet expansion.

• JUL 07, 2021 04:52 PM IST

  Former Assam CM and BJP leader Sarbananda Sonowal leaves from residence

  Delhi | Former Assam CM and BJP leader Sarbananda Sonowal leaves from his residence
  
  The Union Cabinet expansion will take place this evening pic.twitter.com/N7cidr3SY9

  — ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2021

• JUL 07, 2021 04:09 PM IST

  Scindia, Sonowal, Lekhi and 40 others to join cabinet

  43 leaders to take oath today in the Union Cabinet expansion. Jyotiraditya Scindia, Pashupati Kumar Paras, Bhupender Yadav, Anupriya Patel, Shobha Karandlaje, Meenakshi Lekhi, Ajay Bhatt, Anurag Thakur to also take the oath. pic.twitter.com/pprtmDu4ko

  — ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2021

• JUL 07, 2021 03:16 PM IST

  Union minister Babul Supriyo resigns from the Cabinet

  Union minister Babul Supriyo stepped down from the Union cabinet on Wednesday.

• JUL 07, 2021 02:55 PM IST

  Union ministers Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Raosaheb Danve Patil resign

  Union minister Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre and minister of state for consumer affairs Raosaheb Danve Patil resigned from the Union cabinet, ahead of the reshuffle.

• JUL 07, 2021 02:44 PM IST

  Union health minister Harsh Vardhan steps down

  Union health minister Harsh Vardhan also resigned from his post on Wednesday ahead of the cabinet reshuffle.

• JUL 07, 2021 02:25 PM IST

  'Will go to President's House today': BJP MP Nisith Pramanik ahead of cabinet rejig

  BJP MP Nisith Pramanik ahead of the Union cabinet reshuffle said he will visit President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday and added that he is hopeful of inclusion. "Will go to President's House today. I am hopeful," ANI quoted Pramanik as saying.

• JUL 07, 2021 01:55 PM IST

  Another representative of Karnataka is Rajeev Chandrasekhar

  Another representative of Karnataka is Rajeev Chandrasekhar who makes an entry to council of ministers. He recently was part of the team which delivered a BJP alliance government in Puducherry.

• JUL 07, 2021 01:31 PM IST

  43 leaders are expected to be sworn-in as Union Ministers

  43 leaders will take oath as Union Ministers in the Union Cabinet expansion, to be held later today.

• JUL 07, 2021 01:22 PM IST

  Ramesh Pokhriyal also steps down

  Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal also confirms that he has stepped down; cites health reasons.

• JUL 07, 2021 01:20 PM IST

  Ministers leave from 7, Lok Kalyan Marg

  Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President JP Nadda, Sarbananda Sonowal, GK Reddy, Kiren Rijiju, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Parshottam Rupala and Anupriya Patel leave from 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.

• JUL 07, 2021 01:12 PM IST

  Santosh Gangwar says he has resigned from Union Cabinet

  Labour minister Santosh Gangwar says he has resigned from Union Cabinet.

  Santosh Gangwar to Hindustan Times: I have resigned. I can't discuss reason for resignations but can confirm.

• JUL 07, 2021 01:01 PM IST

  Council is expected to have more representation of women

  As the council is expected to have more representation of women, BJP Vice President Sobha Karandlaje, MP from Beed in Maharashtra Pritam Munde and Heena Gavit MP from Maharashtra’s Nandurbar were also seen entering the PM’s residence.

• JUL 07, 2021 12:40 PM IST

  Council is expected to have greater representation from SC, ST, OBC communities

  As per party sources, the council is expected to have greater representation from SC, ST, OBC communities.

• JUL 07, 2021 12:34 PM IST

  List of ministers present at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg

  Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sarbananda Sonowal, Bhupender Yadav, Anurag Thakur, Meenakshi Lekhi, Anupriya Patel, Ajay Bhatt, Shobha Karandjale, Sunita Dugga, Pritam Munde, Santanu Thakur and Kapil Patil.

• JUL 07, 2021 12:31 PM IST

  Several minister present at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg

  Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda, Meenakshi Lekhi, Sarbananda Sonowal, Purshottam Rupala, Nisith Pramanik, RCP Singh, Pashupati Paras, present at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, ahead of Union Cabinet reshuffle.

• JUL 07, 2021 12:20 PM IST

  JP Nadda leaves from his residence

  Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda leaves from this residence.

• JUL 07, 2021 12:00 PM IST

  Amit Shah arrives at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg

  Union Minister Amit Shah arrives at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, ahead of Union Cabinet reshuffle.

• JUL 07, 2021 11:53 AM IST

  4 ministers hold additional charges of five ministries

  Currently, four ministers hold additional charges of five ministries.

• JUL 07, 2021 11:40 AM IST

  More allies in NDA government

  The much-anticipated reshuffle is also expected to see more allies being accommodated in the NDA government

• JUL 07, 2021 10:50 AM IST

  JD (U), LJP and Apna Dal are expected to be part of Cabinet

  Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Apna Dal are expected to find a place in the Union Cabinet.

• JUL 07, 2021 10:32 AM IST

  Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sarbananda Sonowal, Narayan Rane are among likely new ministers

  Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane are among the likely new ministers.

• JUL 07, 2021 09:48 AM IST

  Several positions in the Cabinet are vacant

  Several positions in the Cabinet are vacant due to the exit of Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal and the demise of Ramvilas Paswan of Jan Lokshakti Party.

• JUL 07, 2021 09:03 AM IST

  The exercise was set in motion with appointment of 4 new governors

  The exercise was set in motion with the appointment of four new governors and shifting of four others on Tuesday.

• JUL 07, 2021 08:39 AM IST

  Swearing-in ceremony may take place at 6pm today

  The swearing-in ceremony of new ministers may take place at 6pm today.

• JUL 07, 2021 08:13 AM IST

  Modi government currently has 53 ministers

  The Modi government currently has 53 ministers and its strength can go up to 81.

• JUL 07, 2021 08:08 AM IST

  Reshuffle being done in view of next year's assembly polls

  The reshuffle is being done with an eye on next year's assembly polls in various states.

• JUL 07, 2021 07:51 AM IST

  CCEA, Cabinet meetings have been cancelled

  CCEA and Cabinet meetings that were scheduled today have been cancelled.

• JUL 07, 2021 07:25 AM IST

  First overhaul of the cabinet since 2019

  This will be the first overhaul of the cabinet since the Modi government came to power in 2019.

• JUL 07, 2021 07:16 AM IST

  Several BJP leaders and allies have come to Delhi

  Several BJP leaders and allies have come to Delhi, giving a hint about their possible inclusion in the cabinet. Among these leaders are Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane.

• JUL 07, 2021 07:04 AM IST

  Cabinet reshuffle triggered after meetings between PM Modi, Amit Shah and JP Nadda

  The speculation about a cabinet reshuffle was triggered by meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Jagat Prakash Nadda on Tuesday.

• JUL 07, 2021 06:35 AM IST

  Cabinet expansion buzz as key leaders arrive in Capital

  The Union cabinet expansion is expected to bring in fresh faces that will help the BJP address the criticism it faced for the systemic deficiencies that were exposed during the second wave of the corona pandemic, prepare for the upcoming set of assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha battle, and address the charge that it is not good with allies. Read More