9 new ministers inducted in Modi’s new cabinet including two turbaned Sikhs
Shiv Pratap Shukla
A Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, he is a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development. Shukla was elected a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly for 4 consecutive times in 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1996.
He served as a Cabinet Minister in the Uttar Pradesh government for 8 years, and is known for his work in Rural Development, Education and Prison reform during his tenure. A Law Graduate with an LLB from Gorakhpur University, Shiv Pratap Shukla started off early in politics as a student leader in the 1970s.
Ashwini Kumar Choubey
Ashwini Kumar Choubey is a Lok Sabha MP from Buxar, Bihar. He is member of the Parliamentary Committee on Estimates and Standing Committee on Energy. He is also a Member of Central Silk Board.
Choubey has been elected for 5 consecutive terms to the Bihar Legislative Assembly. He has held important portfolios including Health, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering as a Cabinet Minister of the Government of Bihar for 8 years. Ashwini Kumar Choubey was an active part of the JP movement in the 1970s. He was taken into custody during the Emergency under MISA.
A BSc (Hons) in Zoology, he has a special interest in Yoga.
Virendra Kumar
Virendra Kumar is a Lok Sabha MP from Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh. He has had a distinguished career in Public Service as a 6 term Lok Sabha MP. He is the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, and has been Chairman of the Joint Committee on Office of Profit and a Member of National Social Security Board.
During his multiple stints in Parliament, Virendra Kumar has among others been a Member of the Parliamentary Committees on Labour and Welfare, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Privileges, Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Highly qualified academically, Kumar is armed with an MA in Economics and a PhD in Child Labour.
Anantkumar Hegde
Anantkumar Hegde is a Lok Sabha MP from Uttara Kannada, Karnataka. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs and Human Resource Development. Having been elected as an MP for the first time at the young age of 28 years, Anantkumar Hedge is now a 5th term Lok Sabha MP.
With a deep focus on rural India, Anantkumar Hegde is the Founder President of Kadamba, an NGO working in the field of rural development, rural health, SHGs, rural marketing and other rural welfare programmes.
Raj Kumar Singh
Raj Kumar Singh is a Lok Sabha MP from Arrah, Bihar. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committees on Health and Family Welfare, Personnel, Pensions and Public Grievances and Law & Justice. Raj Kumar Singh is a former IAS officer of the 1975 batch, Bihar cadre.
He rose up the ranks to become the Home Secretary of India.
In an illustrious career before, he served in multiple important roles of responsibility including Defence Production Secretary and Joint Secretary Home; as well as heading Home, Industries, Public Works and Agriculture amongst other departments in the Bihar Government. He is known for his contributions to schemes for Police Modernization and Prison Modernization, and laying down a framework for Disaster Management.
A well-read man, Raj Kumar Singh studied English Literature at St Stephens College, New Delhi, and got a Bachelors Degree in Law thereafter. He also went on to study at the RVB Delft University in Netherlands.
Hardeep Singh Puri
Hardeep Puri is a decorated former IFS officer of the 1974 batch, known for his experience and expertise in foreign policy and national security.
Puri is the President and Chairman of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) think tank, and was the Vice President of International Peace Institute, New York.
Puri’s distinguished four-decade career in diplomacy spanning the multilateral arena, included critical roles of Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Ambassador to Brazil and the United Kingdom and Permanent Representative of India to Geneva.
As Head of the Indian Delegation to the UN Security Council, Hardeep Puri had served as Chairman of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the UN as well as President of the United Nations Security Council.
An alumnus of The Hindu College, Delhi University, Hardeep Puri was a student leader and active during the JP movement. He briefly taught at St. Stephens College before joining the IFS.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is a Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance and Chairperson of the Fellowship Committee.
As a technology-savvy, progressive farmer; Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is a role model for the rural community.
His popularity on social media exemplifies his connect with the youth of today. A sports enthusiast, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has participated at National and All India Inter University level in Basketball. He currently is a Member of the All India Council of Sports and the President of Basketball India Players Association.
He has an MPhil & MA in Philosophy from Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur.
Satya Pal Singh
Satya Pal Singh is a Lok Sabha MP from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs and Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit.
Satya Pal Singh is a distinguished former IPS officer of the 1980 batch, Maharashtra cadre, and has been recognized with medals like the Antrik Suraksha Sewa Padak by Government of India in 2008 and a Special Service Medal for extraordinary work in the Naxalite areas of Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in 1990.
Satya Pal Singh has been the Commissioner of Police of Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur – and is credited for breaking the backbone of organised crime syndicates in Mumbai in the 1990s. He has written best-selling books, including on topics like tribal conflict resolution and Naxalism. He is a scholar of Vedic studies and Sanskrit, and regularly delivers lectures on spirituality, religious harmony and corruption.
Born in Basauli village in Baghpat, Satya Pal Singh has a MSc and MPhil in Chemistry, MBA in Strategic Management from Australia, MA in Public Administration as well as a PhD in Naxalism.
Alphons Kannanthanam
Alphons Kannanthanam is a distinguished former IAS officer of the 1979 batch, Kerala cadre. He is also a practicing advocate. Alphons Kannanthanam became famous as Delhi’s Demolition Man when he was Commissioner of the Delhi Development Authority, having cleared DDA areas of encroachment removing around 15,000 illegal buildings. This got him listed in Time Magazine’s list of 100 Young Global Leaders in 1994.
He pioneered the literacy movement in India as District Collector of Kottayam by making it the first 100% literate town in India in 1989.
Such a Prime Minister should not have seen till today who masure the talent of his ministers and their performances and gives them the responsibility of their ability. Modi is really a boon for this country Ashutosh Kumar
Kannanthanam retired from the IAS, to get elected as an Independent Member of Legislative Assembly for Kanjirappally in Kerala from 2006 to 2011.
He is a Member of the Committee to prepare the final draft of the National Education Policy 2017. He has authored a bestselling book “Making A Difference”
