Indholdsfortegnelse for June 24, 2024 i India Today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, true to form, has hit the ground running with his new 72-member cabinet. Nine alliance partners, out of the 24 who were part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), find a place. Even though the mandate he had hoped for did not happen, Modi showed his political muscle by keeping all the critical portfolios for his party. The message was clear: he would run the government his way, majority or not. The selection of key ministers signalled continuity. There has been a hiatus in policymaking since March 16, when the Model Code of Conduct came into force, so there is a sense of urgency. Before the general election, Modi had chalked out a 125-day agenda, which probably has to be amended considering the lessons to be…

A large part of the Congress party’s success in 2024 can be attributed to a spirited social media campaign. Despite financial constraints, the party went on an online offensive, often setting the narrative. The turnaround started during the first Bharat Jodo Yatra when the party hired a relatively new agency, Teen Bandar, run by two youngsters, Prashant Chari and Savio Joseph. As for the current surge, two youngsters within the Congress—Srivatsa Y.B., 41, an ex-Youth Congress leader from Karnataka who took charge of Rahul Gandhi’s social media channels, and Vaibhav Walia, 35, who headed the party’s Delhi-based communications war room—could claim some credit. The coordination between the two and other senior party leaders was crucial in getting the right message across to voters.…

The induction of first-time Rajya Sabha MP from Assam Pabitra Mar gherita in the Union cabinet is reportedly the BJP’s attempt to counter the growing clout of Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi. Both are from the Ahom community, which plays a crucial role in the state’s power politics. The community’s backing helped Gogoi win the Lok Sabha election from Jorhat despite the best efforts of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. Margherita, a former cultural activist, is being projected as the BJP’s Ahom face. The party will also be banking on his oratory in Parliament, a skill that has earned rival Gogoi a huge fan following among the Assamese youth.…

SIZE OF THE NEW MINISTRY The Union government can accommodate 81 ministers; 72 slots have been filled TERM 1.0 2014-2019 Initial strength 46 (24) Post expansion 76 (27) TERM 2.0 2019-24 Initial strength 58 (25) Post expansion 78 (25) TERM 3.0 2024- Initial strength 72 (31) No. of cabinet ministers in () WOMEN IN THE MODI CABINET The first Modi cabinet had six women ministers, the highest in India’s history. The previous high was three in the UPA-I government between 2004 and 2009 TERM 1.0 2014-2019 Initial strength 10 (6) Post expansion 9 (6) TERM 2.0 2019-24 Initial strength 6 (3) Post expansion 12 (2) TERM 3.0 2024- Initial strength 11 (2) No. of cabinet ministers in () SENIOR CITIZENS’ CLUB 19 of the 31 cabinet ministers are above the…

With a recent spate of terror attacks in Jammu, radicals gaining ground in Punjab after electoral wins for two of them, India is far from rid of terrorism. The wounds of the violence in Manipur remain raw, and while left-wing extremism may have been pushed further inland, it has been by no means eliminated. Besides, there is the unfinished business of the last term—rollout of the Uniform Civil Code, Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens—though coalition dharma may put these on the back burner. New laws, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, replacing the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Evidence Act, also need implementation. Then there is the national census, a project that is already three years behind schedule, and may now see a…

The Union ministry of road transport and highways has been one of the crowning achievements of the Modi government, with significant progress in the building of new highways and greenfield expressways across India. The legal framework governing the transport sector and road safety underwent a major overhaul with the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act in 2019. But all of this good work is undone by the inability to reduce road deaths and crashes, where India continues to top global lists. The coming years will require the government to address the slowdown of projects and missed deadlines. Improving the financial health of its premier highway-building agency, the National Highways Authority of India, will also be a top priority. The agency is burdened by a colossal debt of over Rs 3.4 lakh crore. A…

The primary objective of the I&B ministry is to disseminate information about government policies, schemes and programmes through various mass communication mediums. However, in recent years, the ministry itself has been in the news over its attempts to “control” information. The next big worry is over the proposed Broadcasting Services Regulation (BSR) Bill, 2023, which, once it becomes law, will replace the current Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995. It consolidates the legal framework for the broadcasting sector and extends it to OTT content, digital news and current affairs. Experts fear this will be a powerful tool for the government to censor news. The ministry must address this concern. ASHWINI VAISHNAW Minister of I&B Minister of State L. MURUGAN, 47 | BJP RS member from Madhya Pradesh; also, MoS for Parliamentary…

This financial year had started on a tepid note, with India’s merchandise exports rising only 1 per cent—to around $35 billion (Rs 2.92 lakh crore)—in April, compared to the same month last year. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war along with other geopolitical tensions, such as the Red Sea crisis and the Israel-Hamas conflict, also contributed to making the international trade scenario even tougher for Indian exporters. Despite all this, businesses are living in the hope that exports will start showing better growth numbers with improved demand from the European Union, the UK, West Asia and the US. Order bookings from these regions are up 10 per cent, claims the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), which is a sign of recovery for labour-intensive sectors, including leather and leather products, footwear and…

Coal remains the most crucial fossil fuel for India, fulfilling over half of the country’s energy needs. Despite ranking fifth in terms of coal reserves globally, domestic production—which stood at 777 million tonne in FY22—falls short of the growing demand. In fact, the sector faces significant challenges due to its reliance on labour-intensive methods and lack of technological advancements. Consequently, nearly 20 per cent of India’s coal demand is met through imports at high costs, subjecting the industry to currency fluctuations and global supply chain disruptions. As India progresses towards cleaner and renewable energy sources, there is a strong policy push to reduce its coal dependence. Moreover, the mining sector is increasingly focused on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria for sustainable mining of coal. However, coal companies often struggle…

India has an estimated 254 million of its population aged 15-24 years, the highest globally. The ministry of sports and youth affairs, thus, plays a crucial role in harnessing this demographic’s potential for nation-building and economic growth through various schemes, events and organisations. These include the National Service Scheme and the Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) programme, which aim to train youth in leadership skills and the spirit of volunteering. While Indian sportspersons have achieved global glory in recent years, supported by initiatives like TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) and Khelo India, some sports federations have been embroiled in controversies over malpractices and political influences. It is crucial to take a holistic approach and involve all stakeholders to create a thriving sports ecosystem before India can aspire to host the Olympics.…

India has yet to lever  age its Jal Shakti, despite the lavishing of funds and attention. Both the Jal Jeevan Mission—to provide piped water supply to all homes—and Namami Gange, to clean and desilt the river, are works in progress. What is encouraging is the launch of the E-flow Monitoring System, towards ensuring sustainable currents in the Ganga. Utilising data from quarterly reports by the Central Water Commission, it will track key parameters such as inflow, outflow and mandated E-flow across 11 projects along the Ganga. C.R. PATIL 69 | BJP Minister of Jal Shakti Ministers of State RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY, 46 | BJP V. SOMANNA, 73 | BJP WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE Rejuvenating the Ganga Introduce monitoring and regulatory mechanisms on all major tributaries to safeguard the Ganga’s ecology Dig deep Rev up…

Considering what the ruling BJP had promised in its election manifesto—universal, quality and future-ready education as envisioned by the New Education Policy, 2020—the education ministry pretty much knows what it has to do. The immediate priorities will have to bridging the learning gap in schools, making higher education industryrelevant and freeing entrance examinations of malpractices and glitches. The ministry has already laid down certain tasks for its first 100 days: digitisation drive for effective monitoring of schools down to block level, standard assessment systems across school boards to check dropout levels, new courses to develop skills and more collaborations with foreign universities. The key to achieving these goals will be through training teachers to align with the requirements of the NEP, adding infrastructure, facilitating use of technology and upgrading curriculums.…

The Union government’s environmental report card over the past decade is a patchwork of ambition and oversight. On the one hand, initiatives like the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) have seeded nearly 40 climate resilience projects. India’s leadership in launching the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure shows global intent. The plan to generate 50 per cent of all its power using cleaner fuels by 2030, from 44 per cent at present and attain net-zero emissions by 2070 are bold commitments on the climate action front. Yet, amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, ostensibly to fast-track strategic projects, have environmentalists up in arms. The State of Forest Report’s claim of a marginal forest cover increase of 1,540 sq. km—from 21.67 per cent of…

After the Patanjali mis-leading advertisements case, the pressure is on the ministry of Ayush, by now a familiar acronym for traditional health systems like Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy, to bridge the gap between traditional and modern medicine systems. To raise awareness, the ministry aims to set up 12,500 Ayush health and wellness centres, which can help bring down both the disease burden and out-of-pocket expense in the country. Since 2014, under the National Ayush Mission, the ministry has also released Rs 719 crore to southern states/UTs to build their traditional medicine infrastructure. J.P. GANPATRAO, 63 | SHIV SENA MoS (IC) Minister of AYUSH ↘ An experienced hand Born in Mehkar, Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader Ganpatrao has been elected MP for a fourth time from Buldhana in 2024. Earlier, he…

Formerly known as the urban development ministry, the ministry of housing and urban affairs executes a multitude of welfare programmes for the Modi government. The first decision of the new government was to construct more houses under the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY), the urban part of which his ministry handle. There is also Modi’s pet scheme, the Swachh Bharat Mission, the scheme for loans to street vendors, the AMRUT cities mission, Smart Cities, the list is long. The ministry also oversees governance of laws pertaining to real estate (through the Real Estate Regulatory Authority or RERA), and also leads the Centre’s side in urban metro rail projects that have central funding. MANOHAR LAL KHATTAR Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs Minister of State TOKHAN SAHU, 54 | BJP ↘ OBC FACE Born…

In the past decade, the Indian telecom sector has gone through a major transformation. From a competitive arena marked by several players, the sector has turned into a near-duopoly, dominated by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. The previous telecom minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, had overseen the expansion of the 5G rollout, which was aimed at enhancing user experience, and also negotiated the passing of the Telecommunications Act. Jyotiraditya Scindia, who gets the ministry in Modi 3.0, comes with much experience of handling high-profile ministries, both in the previous Modi government and with the UPA. The upcoming spectrum auction on June 25 will be a high priority area for him. JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA, 53 | BJP Minister of Communications ↘ Call it in With his massive win from family pocket borough Guna in Madhya…

As Arjun Ram Meghwal takes charge as the country’s law minister, the foremost task before his ministry is to fortify what is a crucial pillar of government, both in terms of manpower and infrastructure. The India Justice Report, published in 2023 by Tata Trusts, has found that India has 19 judges per million people (when calculated against sanctioned strength), some 36 years after the Law Commission had in 1987 envisaged 50 judges per million population in a decade. This not only denies the common citizen quick dispensation of justice, but the delays also impacted 0.5 per cent of India’s GDP annually, according to a study by Daksh India in 2016. On his first day at work, Meghwal expressed hope that a solution would be found for the issue of the Memorandum…

Tribal upliftment has been a key focus area of the Modi government through all its terms. This perhaps explains the 190 per cent increase in budget allocation for the tribal affairs ministry in the past decade—from Rs 4,295.94 crore in FY14 to Rs 12,461.88 crore in FY24. These funds have gone towards improving education, healthcare and employment opportunities for tribal communities. It does not come as a surprise then that more than 120,000 students are currently enrolled in the flagship Eklavya Model Residential Schools set up in remote areas. Skill training and land rights initiatives for tribals have also been a priority, as is their economic empowerment—the ministry has ensured MSP for minor forest produce and marketing support for tribal products under the Janjatiya Vikas Mission, which has 183,412 tribal persons…

Q. How was it paying tribute to your father Kamal Haasan at the audio launch of Indian 2? I was honoured that the producers of Indian 2 wanted me to pay tribute to dad by performing all his iconic songs. The band and I wanted to put together a fun rock ‘n’ roll medley of his classics from the ’70s up till this film…that captures the spirit of my father’s career seamlessly. I always say he is the ultimate rockstar and we wanted it to represent that! Q. Tell us more about your latest single ‘Inimel’. It must feel special that your father has penned it… The feedback on the song and video has been phenomenal. It’s a love song that instils hope yet is rooted in reality. Having my father…

The Shiv Sena’s choice of Prataprao Jadhav as their man in the Union cabinet surprised many. Granted, the four-time MP from Buldhana was the seniormost candidate, but speculation was that Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde’s son and former Union minister Shrikant Shinde would be the No. 1 pick for the Modi 3.0 ministry. Shinde has in the past alleged that former boss and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray promised to make a Sainik the CM but took the chair himself in 2019. Is Shinde then looking to claim the moral high ground after his party’s middling performance in the Lok Sabha poll?…

Independent candidate Umesh Patel’s victory over three-time BJP MP Lalu Patel in Daman & Diu came as a surprise to many. Umesh, a local, is associated with the NGO Daman Youth Action Force (DYAF), and also runs a school. He emerged as a leader in 2017 during the protests against the Gujarat government’s moves to merge the UT with the state in a bid to streamline prohibition in the state. He had contested in 2019 too, but success came five years later, making him the first Independent to represent the seat.…

Modi 2.0 did a successful job of navigating the economic effects of the pandemic, resisting the temptation to spend excessively on doles, confining itself instead to targeted spending. Nirmala Sitharaman, who held a steady guiding hand all through, may need a new tack this time. She has to rev up slothful sectors while easing mass distress. Expect higher social spends and capex outlays in her upcoming budget in July. It will be challenging, considering the global slowdown that is only just easing, and there is no quickfix for rising unemployment. She also has to steer inflation to tolerable levels amid fears of NPAs returning to the banking system. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN, 64 | BJP Minister of Finance; Corporate Affairs ↘ Studious past Born to a Tamil Iyengar family in Madurai, Tamil Nadu,…

AMIT SHAH Minister of Cooperation Ministers of State KRISHAN PAL, 67 | BJP Three-time Faridabad MP MURLIDHAR MOHOL, 49 | BJP MP from Pune; also MoS in civil aviation ministry WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE Accelerate PACS digitisation Launched in 2023-24, the project involves computerising 63,000 functional PACS and large area multipurpose societies, LAMPS Get all states to adopt model bylaws for PACS These can help increase sources of income and create new employment opportunities Encourage farmers to use PACS They can be crucial for inputs, sharing farm gate infrastructure, decentralising procurement…

One of the largest ministries of the government, Indian Railways has the dual responsibility of bringing in a much-needed technology and capacity upgrade while remaining an affordable mode of travel for the common Indian that it has always been. The first relates to India’s perennial challenges: overcrowded trains, timely availability of confirmed tickets, concerns of safety. The second is a facor of the overall vision of governmental responsibility towards the people. Beyond these, the Indian rail network has to increase its share of freight moved across the country, being faster, more economical and “greener” than road transport. Railways is also under duress owing to a burgeoning pension bill of over Rs 50,000 crore per year, keeping its financial health perpetually in red. ASHWINI VAISHNAW, 53 | BJP Minister of Railways…

Aviation has been the sunrise sector post the pandemic, with the number of air passengers rising every year, making it viable for Indian carriers to go into an expansion mode. Riding this boom, the government has envisioned creating multiple international hubs in India, akin to those in Dubai, Doha and Turkey. Service deficiencies by airlines and user discontent are common in the sector, which make the ministry’s role as a watchdog crucial, especially with more and more airlines and flights entering Indian skies. Ensuring hassle-free and affordable air travel for the common man has been one of the Modi government’s promises since 2014, a commitment that the civil aviation ministry has been tasked to oversee. KINJARAPU RAMMOHAN NAIDU, 36 | TDP Minister of Civil Aviation ↘ Engineer by training The third-term…

India’s 63 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) contribute a significant 29 per cent to its GDP and 44 per cent to exports and thus are integral to the country’s journey towards becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat’. However, these businesses have faced successive disruptions, beginning from demonetisation in 2016. The Covid-19 pandemic and then geopolitical disturbances like the Russia-Ukraine war, Israel-Hamas conflict and Red Sea crisis have led to business closures, supply chain disruptions, logistics cost spikes and volatile input costs. Consequently, many MSMEs faced losses due to damaged inventory and forgone sales. “In today’s globalised environment,” notes Anil Bhardwaj, secretary-general, Federation of Indian MSMEs, “institutional responses must consider the impact of geopolitical developments on small businesses.” And that precisely is the task that Jitan Ram Manjhi and his ministry…

The heavy industries ministry plays a critical role in fostering domestic manufacturing and industrial growth. One of its biggest components is the automotive industry. Exports in the sector fell 5.5 per cent in FY24, due to the slowdown in several advanced markets. The industry has already been asked to make a comprehensive plan for the first 100 days of Modi 3.0. Other sectors under the ministry’s purview, like heavy engineering equipment, machine tools and heavy electrical equipment, can likewise turbo-boost domestic manufacturing and exports. In steel, the threat of rising cheaper imports refuses to go away. The production-linked incentive scheme of the government is expected to incentivise production of domestic raw material, which the government hopes will meet demand by the end of the year. However extraordinary results require extraordinary effort,…

In the past 10 years, the Modi government has done fairly well in removing many of the glitches on the input side of farming. However, its attempts to reform the farm gate to market access side have seen scant success. The Centre tried to open up the segment in 2020 with three new farm laws. Only to run into extremely rough weather after the farm unions went up in arms in 2020-21. Changing tack, the government has since tried to revitalise the cooperative sector to strengthen the farm gate infrastructure in order to help farmers build capacity and storage facilities and enable them to command remunerative prices for their produce. Chouhan has a reputation for not working in “closed chambers”; he likes to meet, discuss, understand and fine-tune public…

The domestic food processing capacity has been steadily crossing 20 million tonnes in recent years. This is in a large measure due to the government’s initiatives to improve the agro-industry ecosystem, creating attractive opportunities for investment, both Indian and overseas. The newly-minted minister of food processing industries Chirag Paswan has to focus on making the big-ticket programmes of the ministry work. Foremost among his tasks should be to turn around the mega food park projects. Though 41 such food parks were approved, till date, only 24 are operational while 17 are in various stages of implementation. In mid-May, the ministry came out with a consolidated list of 325 smaller food parks with funds from NABARD. Chirag must now effectively execute the projects, connect Indian producers with the domestic/foreign market, and see…

Each year, 12 million people are added to the working age population in India, representing a vast pool of potential workers that could see the country reaping a demographic dividend. However, unemployment is rife even among the educated youth. According to the India Employment Report 2024, the share of youth in the total unemployed populace is a staggering 82.9 per cent. The government launched the Skill India mission with much fanfare in 2015, but the focus of training institutes has been on skilling rather than employment. Government data shows that under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 2.0, between FY17 and FY23 (as of January 5, 2023), over ten million people have been trained, of which just over two million got jobs. This alarming statistic revives fears that India may…

India’s healthcare system and parameters have improved in the past decade. We have implemented the world’s largest insurance scheme, improved doctor-patient ratio and begun reducing critical indicators such as maternal and child mortality and the burden of various diseases. However, if the country is ever to be at par with advanced healthcare systems such as the US, Japan or the UK, there has to be more financial investment. According to the medical journal Lancet, government spending on health has declined, hovering at a meagre 1.2 per cent of the GDP in the past few years. The government, though, says its expenditure has increased, from 1.13 per cent in 2014-15 to 1.35 per cent of the GDP in 2019-20. This is expected to hit 2.5 per cent by 2025, as per the…

With Hardeep Singh Puri back at the helm of the petroleum ministry, the sector is expected to see a continuity in policy. The minister has already said that boosting domestic oil and gas production, promoting green hydrogen and increasing the use of ethanol will be key priorities for the government. He was also quick to add that profitable PSU oil companies like BPCL would not be divested, signalling that the Modi government would like to stay clear of any controversy in the beginning of its third term. He has reportedly hinted at bringing fuel under the purview of GST, although that seems like a far cry, and reducing fuel prices if crude falls sharply in the international market. HARDEEP SINGH PURI, 72 | BJP Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas…

India has set an ambitious target of 500 gigawatts of renewable energy capacities by 2030-31, along with developing affordable storage capacities and the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which plans to produce 5 MT of green hydrogen annually by then. This is in addition to the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which aims to provide 300 units of free electricity every month to 10 million households. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said at various events that India will have to scale this up three-fold but this will be impossible if both power ministries do not work in tandem. In the past decade, India’s renewables story became a success as the power sector (transmission companies) allowed free access to green corridors, DISCOMs were asked to buy electricity from renewables on priority and…

Though nari shakti has been a rallying cry for most political parties, empowering women will take more than just empty slogans, populist handouts or symbolic legislation. Especially as women and child safety remains a concern, the country still has a long way to go in terms of maternal and child mortality numbers, or in nutrition. Much has been done, from Integrated Child Development Services to Poshan Abhiyaan, but much more remains to be done too. The two ladies have their work cut out. ANNAPURNA DEVI, 55 | BJP Minister of Women & Child Development ↘ Early life Devi comes from a Bengali-speaking family in Dumka, Jharkhand ↘ Political initiation Content to be a home-maker, she was thrust into political life after her husband Ramesh Yadav, a Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, died…

Four militant attacks—apparently directed from across the border—since June 9 in the usually ‘peaceful’ Jammu sector have taken India’s security establishment by surprise. Here’s why Pakistan has suddenly turned up the heat on India ↘ Provoke India: By upping the ante, Pakistan aims to test the resolve of the Indian government. It also wants to send a message that despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government’s electoral success, Jammu and Kashmir remains beyond their control ↘ Foment communal tensions: Targeting the Hindu-majority Jammu region, the hostile neighbour intends to incite communal tensions just before the Amarnath Yatra ↘ Stall the assembly election: The clear strategy is to create unrest and disrupt the upcoming assembly election in J&K, expected in the next few months, the first since the abrogation…

Now that the general election is over, Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy has his task cut out—fill the six slots left in his six-month-old cabinet. The number of claimants has gone up since, with some communities not represented, as have requests for specific portfolios. Meanwhile, with the Bharatiya Janta Party trouncing the Bharat Rashtra Samithi in the Lok Sabha election, the anticipated drift from the pink party, including some of the 39 BRS legislators in the 119-seat assembly, may not materialise either.…

When Narendra Modi entered the hallowed precincts of South Block on June 10, officials who had worked with him in the Prime Minister’s Office lined the corridor and greeted him with applause. Modi walked straight to his spartan corner office and the first document he signed was an order authorising the release of the 17th instalment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi to distribute Rs 2,000 each to the 93 million farmers in the country, an expense of Rs 20,000 crore for the exchequer. For Modi, this was all familiar territory—he has been here, done this for the past 10 years, over two terms. But there is a clear difference this time. Unlike the previous stints, he is heading a coalition government in his third term, Election 2024 having thrown up…

The challenges facing the government in the defence sector require careful strategic planning, followed by decisive action. In its election manifesto, the BJP promised to expand India’s defence footprint across strategic locations and partner with friendly countries to protect its security interests in the Indian Ocean Region. On defence manufacturing, it has promised to continue support for start-ups, so that indigenisation can be accelerated. The other emphasis is to increase exports of Made in India defence equipment. In the 2023–24 financial year, defence exports reached a record high of Rs 21,083 crore (around $2.63 billion). The government has set up a target of Rs 35,000 crore by 2025. Continuing robust vigilance along the tense Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China is an imperative too, along with managing internal security…

Foreign policy has been regarded as an area of success for the Narendra Modi–led NDA government since 2014—a sign of a confident India asserting itself on the global stage. No passage of events proved it more effectively than how New Delhi steered deep functional ties with both the United States and Russia, without one jeopardising the other. Its presidency of the G20 also saw India renew its old role as a leading voice of the Global South. New Delhi’s diplomatic skills were again on view this February, when the ministry secured a pardon for eight former Indian naval officers held on death row in Qatar. Closer home, as Pakistan extended an olive branch on the occasion of Modi’s oathtaking on June 9, India stayed firm on its stand of peace…

ASHWINI VAISHNAW, 53 | BJP Minister of Electronics & IT (MeitY) Minister of State JITIN PRASADA, 50 | BJP Elected from Pilibhit, UP; also MoS, Commerce & Industry Since Ashwini Vaishnaw has retained MeitY, there is bound to be continuity in policies. Expect retention of focus on areas Vaishnaw had concentrated on in his previous stint, such as electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, data privacy, internet regulations, cyber security and artificial intelligence (AI). “We need to focus on self-sufficiency in semiconductors over time,” says Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder, Infosys, and chairman, Axilor Ventures. “It will need domestic manufacturing and policies that encourage use of locally-made products.” WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE PENDING BILLS: The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill (DPDP) and the Digital India Bill are key legislations the ministry is expected to…

India’s textile industry weaves a vital thread into the nation’s economic tapestry, contributing 2.3 per cent to the GDP, 13 per cent to industrial production and 12 per cent to exports. The textiles and apparel sector—the country’s second-largest employer, directly engaging 45 million workers and indirectly supporting 100 million more in allied industries—is especially significant as India grapples with an unemployment crisis. With a 4 per cent stake in global trade, exports are projected to surge at a 10 per cent CAGR from 2019-20, reaching $190 billion (Rs 15.9 lakh crore) by 2025-26. That said, the industry’s heavy reliance on exports exposes it to challenges. The slowdown in western markets and ongoing conflicts disrupting trade routes have reduced India’s export volumes. “The government should prioritise the textile sector not only…

The ministry’s ambit involves initiatives for poverty eradication, increasing livelihood opportunities and providing a social safety net. Funds are not an issue—budgetary allocation for 2024-25 is Rs 1.85 lakh crore. The rural landscape is undergoing a transformative journey, marked by a decline in multidimensional poverty. The updated National Multidimensional Poverty Index, released by NITI Aayog in 2023, claims that 248 million people have escaped poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21. In villages, though, along with the signs of growth, concerns too have emerged: migration of the aspirational youth to urban and semi-urban areas in search of jobs, a rise in alcohol and drug addiction and the continuing lack of hygiene and cleanliness despite the Swachh Bharat Mission initiatives. SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN Minister of Rural Development Ministers of State PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR, 48…

Emerging from the shadow of Covid-19, India saw a 64 per cent growth in foreign tourist arrivals in 2023, thanks to several government initiatives promoting tourism and enhancing connectivity. However, India still lags behind European, American and even East Asian destinations in most-visited countries worldwide. The World Travel and Tourism Council forecasts the sector to increase its GDP contribution to $15.5 trillion by 2033, representing 11.6 per cent of the global economy and employing almost 12 per cent of the working population. It’s imperative that the tourism ministry helps India claim its share of this global pie. The culture ministry also plays a key role in attracting tourists by showcasing India’s vast diversity through festivals, museums and historical monuments. But it has traditionally been crippled by low budgetary allocations. GAJENDRA…

The Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers is instrumental in ensuring India’s food and drugs security. Other than chemicals and fertilisers, it also has a pharmaceutical department. India’s chemical industry is highly diversified and covers over 80,000 commercial products. In the past few years, the country has emerged as a key player in bulk chemicals, speciality chemicals, agrochemicals, petrochemicals, polymers and fertilisers. In terms of volume, India is the world’s second largest consumer of fertiliser, using around 3.5 MT of urea, out of which around 10 MT is imported. Reducing this dependence on fertiliser imports will likely remain a key priority of this government. The ministry has already begun work on starting new urea plants; as well as towards promoting nano-urea. With India considered the ‘pharmacy capital of the world’,…

Reforms in the power sector typically have two main points of focus–make the state DISCOMs (distribution companies) efficient financially as well as operationally and accelerate the process of addition of generation capacity. AT&C (aggregate technical & commercial) losses have come down from 22.3 per cent in 2020/21 to 15.4 per cent in 2023/24, but still need to shrink further (some states continue to be laggards in this). Meanwhile, DISCOMs suffered financial losses to the tune of Rs 68,832 crore in 2022-23. The process of cleaning up the books, streamlining payments and instilling discipline in the GENCOs (generation companies) and TRANSCOs (transmission companies) is an ongoing one. The idea is to make DIS-COMs sustainable and capable enough to meet the spurt in power demands. On May 30, when the mercury surged in…

The ministry fulfils its mandate to ensure food security to all through two mechanisms—the public distribution system as well as the various price support mechanisms, like procurement of foodgrains at minimum support prices. The consumer affairs department looks after protection of consumer rights in all spheres. And of late, it has been active in expanding its reach to consumer redressal in the online space. PRALHAD JOSHI Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Minister of State NIMUBEN J. BAMBHANIYA, 58 | BJP ↘ Sterling win A former mayor of Bhavnagar Municipal Corporation. Won the Bhavnagar LS seat by over 400,000 votes B.L. VERMA, 62 | BJP ↘ Policy man A Rajya Sabha MP from UP, the RSS veteran was an LIC agent before joining politics WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE Management of buffer stock…

As the world moves towards a fifth industrial revolution, or IR 5.0, technology has become the launchpad for soaring national ambitions. But growth hits exponential speeds here—in volume, depth and complexity. Is India ready? Not quite. The future is Artificial Intelligence. Combined with the boundless connectivity of 6G, AI will enable a seamless fusion of the digital, physical and human world. Not to talk of Web 3.0, blockchains, the Internet of Things, quantum computing and synthetic biology. In space, a whole vista of aerospace systems is opening up—cis-lunar space (Earth-Moon corridor) as an economic activity; a hybrid of robotics-and human-based space exploration; space tourism beyond the Near-Earth Orbit; drones, for transformative last-minute delivery, and for combat. While India has the awareness and the interest, it is way behind in scientific research,…