Modi’s Power Packed Cabinet Ministers!

1. Dr.Harsh Vardhan

Age: 59 years

Educational Qualifications: MBBS, MS(ENT)

Current Ministry: Health

Past portfolios:

• Has been member of the RSS for the last 35 years and an active worker of BJP.
• Was general secretary and also president Delhi Medical Association in 1993 on the basis of his medical experience.
• Was inducted into the Cabinet as Health and Law Minister in the Delhi government in the same year.
• Later in 1996 became the Education Minister too.
• He has been  MLA in 2003 and 2008 in the 4th Delhi Legislative Assembly.
• Launched the Polio Eradication Plan in October-1994.

Rewards and Controversies:

• His polio eradication plan ended up to be a huge success.
• It was the first time in History of the  Nation that a Health Minister introduced the Delhi Prohibition Of Smoking Programme.
• After his painstaking efforts the Non-Smokers Health Protection Bill was finally adopted by the house in 1996.
• This attempt received Worldwide acclaim and for this note-worthy effort he received the WHO’s Commendation Medal in May-1998,at a ceremony held in Rio-De-Janeiro,Brazil.
• He has been a recipent for various National and International Awards and fellowship from various national and international organizations of repute such as Polio Eradication Champion Award fellow of Polypathy ,Paul Harris fellowship and IMA special award of appreciation.

2. Rajnath Singh

Age: 64 years

Educational Qualifications: M.SC(physics)

Previous Portfolios Managed:

• From 1991-1992,he was the Minister of Education,Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• He was the Union Cabinet Minister, Surface Transport, Government of India in 1999-2000.
• From 2000-2002 he was the Chief Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• From 2003-2004,he was the Union Cabinet Minister, Agriculture, Government Of India.
• He also launched the National Highway Development Programme.
• Elected as the National President of BJP.
• He made his mark in no time by initiating schemes like creation of Kissan Call Centres and introduction of Farm Insurance.

Rewards and Controversies: He was the one to hand over the baton to Gadkari.

3. Arun Jaitley

Current Ministry: Finance and corporate affairs

Age:61

Educational Qualifications: B.com(Hons),LL.B. at Sri Ram College of Commerce, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi.

Previous portfolios managed:

• 1989-90 Additional Solicitor General, Government of India.
• 1991 onwards Member, National Executive, Bharatiya Janata Party.
• 1999-30 Sept- 2000 Minister of State (Independent charge) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• 1999-July 2000 Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Department of Disinvestment (Additional Charge).
• April 2000 Elected to Rajya Sabha ,23 July 2000 – 6 Nov.
• 2000 Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs.
• 2000 – 1 July 2002 Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, 20 March 2001 – 1 Sept. 2001 Minister of Shipping (Additional Charge), 1 July 2002-Jan.
• 2003 General Secretary and Spokesperson, B.J.P.,29 July 2002-29 Jan. 2003 and March 2005-March 2010 Member, Court of the University of Delhi, , 1-29 Jan. 2003 Member, Committee on Home Affairs , Member, Committee on External Affairs, 29 Jan.
• 2003-21 May 2004 Minister of Law and Justice and Minister of Commerce and Industry, July 2004 onwards General Secretary, B.J.P.,Aug. 2004-May 2009 Member, Committee of Privileges.
• 2004-May 2009 and Aug. 2009 – April 2012, Member, Committee on Commerce, Oct. 2004-May 2009 Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• 2006-July 2010 Member, Indian Council of World Affairs,April 2006 Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (second term)- Aug.
• 2006-Dec.
• 2008 Member, Joint Committee to examine the constitutional and legal position relating to Office of Profit , Aug 2006-Dec.
• 2009 Member, Joint Committee on Offices of Profit, 3 June 2009-2 April 2012 and 3 April 2012onwards, Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha, July 2009 onwards Member, General Purposes Committee.
• 2009 onwards Member, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Installation of Portraits/Statues of National Leaders and Parliamentarians in Parliament House Complex.
• 2009 onwards Member, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Maintenance of Heritage Character and Development of Parliament House,April 2012 Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (third term),June-Nov.
• 2012 Member, Select Committee of Rajya Sabha on the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011

Rewards and controversies:

He was arrested at the time of emergency during Indira Gandhi’s rule.When VP dislodged Rajiv Gandhi as the Prime Minister,Mr.Jaitley was appointed as an additional solicitor general.It was seen as a reward in exposing the Bofors bribery scandal.He represented the BJP in the Babri Masjid demolition case.He scored a big deal victory when he got L.K Advani acquitted by the Delhi High Court.Last year,he was conferred with the award of being Parlimentarian.

4. Sushma Swaraj

Current ministry: External Affairs

Age:62 years

Educational Qualifications:

• Earned a B.A.degree with majors in Sanskrit and Political Science.
• She studied L.L.B at the Punjab University,Chandigarh.

Previous portfolios managed:

• She became the youngest Cabinet Minister at the age of 25 years.
• She has also been a Union Minister I&B and Telecommunication , 1st Chief Minister of Delhi and Union Health Minister.

Rewards and Controversies:

• She is Indian Parliament’s 1st and only female MP honoured with Outstanding Parlimentarian Award.
• She has many firsts to her credits as BJP’s first female Chief Minister.

5. Venkaiah Naidu

Age: 60

Educational Qualifications:

• Pursued Bachelor’s Degree in Politics and Diplomatic Studies.
• Later he acquired Bachelor’s Degree in Law with specialization in International Law.

Earlier portfolio’s managed by him:

• He was elected as an MLA to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
• From 2000-2002, he has been a Minister of Rural Development,Government of India.
• He has been a President of the Youth Wing of Janata Party, Andhra Pradesh.

Rewards and Controversies:

After the NDA victory in the 1999 general elections, he became the Union Cabinet Minister for Rural development in the government headed by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

He was known for aggressively pushing for reforms in Rural development and for the many schemes introduced during this period such as the ‘Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana’

– Misbaah Mansuria