But he signalled a premium on performance by reducing the responsibilities of some high-profile ministers, including cabinet ministers Smriti Irani and Ravi Shankar Prasad. The cabinet reshuffle is also seen as an attempt to appease the state’s influential Patel community. Smriti Irani dropped as HRD minister as Narendra Modi reshuffles cabinetTwo years into his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday carried out a major reshuffle and expansion of the Union cabinet based on the principle of realpolitik and individual performance. As 19 new ministers of state took oath, the only one to be elevated to the cabinet rank was Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar. Modi, however, kept the nucleus of decision-making within the government—the finance, defence, home, road transport and external affairs ministries—untouched.

Source: Mint July 06, 2016 04:52 UTC