Almost a month after forming the government for the third consecutive time, the Narendra Modi-led central government has formed various cabinet committees with National Democratic Alliance partners bagging high-level positions.
The members of the cabinet committees include Union ministers from the BJP and its NDA partners Janata Dal (U), Telugu Desam Party, Janata Dal (S), Shiv Sena and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).
What are cabinet committees?
After a party wins the election, step one is to form the government and step two is to allocate portfolios. Following this the government forms high-profile cabinet committees that various union ministers are also part of.
These committees are assigned important duties by the prime minister who also has the authority to modify the functions of these committees.
Each committee has three to eight members, and the prime minister is part of one and he is the head of that committee. Usually, at least one cabinet minister is made part of each committee.
The main task of these committees is to brainstorm proposals and plans for the Cabinet to consider. Cabinet committees are also expected to hold debates and discussions, make recommendations, and make appointments in national security bodies.
Who gets what?
Cabinet Committee on Security: PM Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and EAM S Jaishanakar
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Heavy Industries and Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Panchayati Raj and Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh
Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs: PM Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister of Roadways Nitin Gadkari, FM Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Health Minister J P Nadda, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Jitan Ram Manjhi, Ports and Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, and Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy
Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Shah, JP Nadda, Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Social Justice Minister Virendra Kumar, Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Minister of Jal Shakti C R Patil
Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth: PM Modi, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, and Minister of Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan
Cabinet Committee on Accommodation: Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Goyal and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal