‘Will build upon good initiatives taken up by Smriti,’ says new HRD minister

BJP leader Prakash Javadekar, who has been appointed as the new Human Resources Development Ministry, replacing controversial minister Smriti Irani, on Wednesday said that he would build upon the good initiative undertaken by her.

“We will build upon the good initiatives taken up by Smriti ji, We believe education is a weapon of change, to ensure everyone gets good education will be our goal,” said Javadekar.

Javadekar was the only minister to be elevated to the cabinet rank in the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. His place in the environment ministry was taken by BJP RS MP Anil Dave who is now minister of state with independent charge of the sensitive ministry.

The expansion and reshuffle of the Union Cabinet also saw Union finance minister Arun Jaitley’s additional portfolio of information and broadcasting given to Union urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu to be held as an extra charge.

Venkaiah Naidu retained the urban development ministry but lost parliamentary affairs (which entails floor management with Opposition leaders on significant legislation in Parliament) to chemicals and fertilisers minister Ananth Kumar.

Steel and mines minister Narendra Tomar has been rewarded with the rural development ministry, the main driver of Mr Modi’s social agenda.

His steel portfolio has gone to Birender Singh, who till now was rural development minister.

Piyush Goyal, who is already MoS with independent charge of the power, coal and new and renewable energy ministries, has been given the mines department as well.

The reshuffle also saw D.V. Sadananda Gowda relieved of the law and justice portfolio and sent to the dry statistics and programme implementation ministry.

Ravi Shankar Prasad is the new law minister and retains his portfolio of electronics and information technology. Manoj Sinha is given independent charge of communications department.