The Big Cabinet Reshuffle

Janardhan Dwivedi, Congress Spokesperson
Reshuffle is to make the Govt function; everything cannot be only for election.

One of the allies left us and many situations were prevailing

It is a big change; when a changes takes place and that is done to make Govt function properly so that all sections of society get representation.

I think it is a positive change and results will show up. New faces have come up and are taking new responsibilities. The new generation should get more responsibilities and we keep repeating that.

Pawan Bansal to NDTV on getting Railways

It would be my endeavor to see that all states get their due as far as railways is concerned. It should benefit people all over the country.  The priority is also to see that safety and cleanliness standards are improved

Priority is to improve the health of railways - both physical and financial health. We have to see where we can cut on expenditure , where we can reduce fares also so that ultimately people are served.

Ajay Maken (on whether he could return to Delhi politics)
This is for the High Command to decide. I have a portfolio (Housing & Urban poverty alleviation) through which I can work for Delhi.

Arvind Kejriwal tweets: Reshuffle exposes this govt. Corrupt are not just protected but also rewarded.

PM tweets: "The road ahead is full of challenges. But this is a team, which I hope will be able to meet those challenges."

 
 

PM reallocates portfolios:

• Harish Rawat made Water Resources Minister; Chandresh Kumari is the new Culture Minister.
• Veerappa Moily moved to Petroleum Ministry from Corporate Affairs
• Sachin Pilot made Minister of State in Corporate Affairs (Independent charge)
• Dinsha Patel promoted as Cabinet Minister in Mines Ministry, Pallam Raju upgraded and made HRD Minister.
• Kamal Nath gets additional charge of Parliamentary Affairs
• Jyotiraditya Scindia made Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power.
• Salman Khurshid new Minister for External Affairs
• Pawan Kumar Bansal will be the new Railways Minister

Shashi Tharoor to NDTV

• I am very honored to be given the chance.
• Our government is committed to delivering. The time we have is less but we will deliver.
• It's an important portfolio (HRD) as we have many young people in the country. We have to help them realise their aspirations.
• The controversies were created more by the media , the whole IPL issue behind me for several years now

Cabinet reshuffle: Excited new minister forgot to sign papers
Porika Naik Balram rushed to greet President Pranab Mukherjee and others present after his oath-taking, and in his joy almost forgot to sign his name after being sworn in at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Cabinet reshuffle: Shashi Tharoor is back in the government
Shashi Tharoor, former minister of state for external affairs, on Sunday made a comeback to the union council of ministers after two and a half years.

India's new broadcasting minister, Manish Tewari
Manish Tewari, Congress spokesperson, was sworn in as Minister of State with independent charge.

PM to NDTV: Disappointed Rahul Gandhi hasn't joined the government; he's preoccupied, wants to strengthen the party

PM to NDTV: This is the last reshuffle before the elections in 2014.  Tried to convinve Rahul Gandhi, but he preferred a role within the party

Of the seven new ministers sworn in with cabinet rank Sunday, only two are new faces, while the rest, including Ajay Maken and M.M. Pallam Raju, have been elevated from minister of state rank.

The new faces in the union cabinet are former deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha K. Rehman Khan, who is from Karnataka, and Chandreswari Kumari Katoch, who hails from Himachal Pradesh but who has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

The other elevated cabinet-rank ministers are: Dinsha Patel, Harish Rawat and Ashwani Kumar.

Deepa Dasmunshi sworn in; she is likely to be MoS Culture