Pics: Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, JP Nadda Take Charge Of Their Ministries

Two days after taking oath, the Union Ministers got into the work mode Tuesday. They arrived at their respective ministries to take charge.

Ministries have been allocated to the 71 ministers who joined the Modi 3.0 in a grand swearing-in ceremony on Sunday with the Prime Minister himself handling the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the Department of Atomic Energy, and the Department of Space.

Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and JP Nadda were among the senior BJP leaders who assumed charge at their respective offices today.

BJP president J P Nadda assumed charge of the Health as well as the Chemical and Fertilisers ministries.

Among new entrants to the Union Cabinet are former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who has got Agriculture and Rural Development Ministries, and Manohar Lal Khattar.

Mr Khattar assumed the charge as the Union housing and urban affairs minister in the newly formed Modi government at the Centre. He is also in charge of the Power Ministry.

Ashwini Vaishnaw assumed charge as Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, the 35th leader to hold the portfolio since Independence, reported news agency PTI.

He succeeds Anurag Thakur, who held the post for nearly three years in the previous BJP-led government.

Chirag Paswan, two-time MP from Bihar and chief of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), assumed office as Minister of Food Processing Industries. Mr Paswan, who won from Hajipur seat in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections, has solidified his status as the "real" political heir of his late father Ram Vilas Paswan.

"There is huge potential in the food processing sector, and the 100-day plan will be ready after discussion with ministry officials," Mr Paswan was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has returned as Environment Minister in the third tenure of the Narendra Modi government.

A key organisational member of the BJP, Mr Yadav took over as environment minister from Prakash Javadekar in the second Modi government in July 2021.

Hardeep Singh Puri, a former diplomat, also returned as the Petroleum Minister in the Modi 3.0 cabinet.

"Deeply grateful to PM @narendramodi Ji for entrusting me with responsibility to continue to contribute to India's remarkable journey towards energy self-sufficiency & green energy transition with focus on E&P, Green Hydrogen & ethanol while at the same time ensuring that India successfully continues to navigate the trilemma of energy availability, affordability & sustainability under his visionary guidance," he said in a post on Twitter.

Cabinet Minister of Earth Sciences in the previous Modi government, Kiren Rijiju has been allocated Parliamentary and Minority affairs department this time. Assuming office today, Mr Rijiju thanked PM Modi, adding that serving incredible nation in this capacity is a privilege and he is dedicated to contributing to it's progress.

Annapurna Devi today also took charge as the Women and Child Development minister and said she will work towards fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of a 'Viksit Bharat'. Before taking charge, Ms Devi, 55, met former Women and Child Development minister Smriti Irani.

On Sunday, PM Modi held the first Cabinet meeting after his government was sworn in. He told his ministerial colleagues that most of them will continue to handle their existing responsibilities. 

(With PTI inputs)