New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moved Smriti Irani out of the Human Resource Development ministry and Prakash Javadekar will replace her now. Irani has been moved to the Textile Ministry, seen as a less important assignment.
In other important changes made by PM Modi in his cabinet reshuffle, Venkaiah Naidu will now be Minister for Information and Broadcasting, a portfolio held by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as an additional charge. Sadananda Gowda loses the Law Ministry to Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is also the Telecom Minister.
Senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar replaces Naidu as the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio. Venkaiah Naidu retains the Urban Development Ministry.
Vijay Goel, was given the Youth Affairs and Sports ministry (Independent Charge), left vacant when Sarbananda Sonowal moved to the Assam as chief minister in May. Anil Madhav Dave gets Environment Minister.
Jayant Sinha has been shifted from Finance to Civil Aviation in the minister of state rank, a post held by Mahesh Sharma, who will now look after only Culture and Tourism. Akbar will be the secondMinister of state for External Affairs along with V K Singh.
With the induction of the new ministers, PM Modi's council of ministers has been expanded to 78 members.
