Surprises and Shocks

Anand Sharma has been made the new Commerce & Industry minister as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expanded his Council of Ministers inducting 59 more and giving portfolios of HRD to Kapil Sibal, Law to Veerappa Moily and Surface Transport & Highways to Kamal Nath.

UNION MINISTERS

Ghulam Nabi Azad: Health & Family Welfare
Kapil Sibal: Human Resource Development
Veerappa Moily: Law & Justice
Ambika Soni: Information & Broadcasting
Anand Sharma: Commerce
& Industry

S Jaipal Reddy: Urban Development
Murli Deora: Petroleum & Natural Gas
Kumari Selja: Housing, Urban & Poverty Alleviation, Tourism
Sushil Kumar Shinde: Power
Vilasrao Deshmukh: Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises.
Kamal Nath: Surface Transport & Highways
Virbhadra Singh: Steel
A Raja: IT & Communication:
Dayanidhi Maran: Textiles
Meira Kumar: Water Resources
C P Joshi: Rural Development & Panchayati Raj
M S Gill: Youth Affairs & Sports
M Azhagiri: Chemical & Fertilisers
Mallikarjun Kharge: Labour & Employment
Farooq Abdullah: New & Renewable Energy.
Subodh Kant Sahay: Food Processing Industries
G K Vasan: Shipping
Pawan Kumar Bansal: Parliamentary Affairs
Vyalar Ravi: Overseas Indian Affairs
B K Handique: Mines, Development of North-Eastern Region
Mukul Wasnik : Social Justice & Empowerment
Kantilal Bhuria : Tribal Affairs
Pranab Mukherjee: Finance
Sharad Pawar: Agriculture, Food & Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution
A K Antony: Defence
P. Chidambaram: Home Affairs
Mamata Banerjee: Railways
S M Krishna: External Affairs

MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

Praful Patel: Civil Aviation
Prithviraj Chavan: Science & Technology; Earth Sciences and MoS in the PMO; Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Parliamentary Affairs.
Sriprakash Jaiswal: Coal; Statistics & Programme Implementation
Salman Khursheed: Corporate Affairs; Minority Affairs
Dinsha J Patel: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Krishna Tirath: Women and Child Development
Jairam Ramesh: Environment and Forests

MINISTERS OF STATE

Mahadev S. Khandela: Road Transport & Highways
Dinesh Trivedi: Health & Family Welfare
Sisir Adhikari: Rural Development
Sultan Ahmed: Tourism
Mukul Roy: Shipping
Mohan Jatua: Information and Broadcasting
D Napoleon Minister: Social Justice & Empowerment
Dr. S Jagathrakshakan: Information & Broadcasting
S Gandhiselvan: Health & Family Welfare
Tusharbhai Chaudhary: Tribal Affairs
Sachin Pilot: Communications and IT
Arun Yadav: Youth Affairs & Sports
Pratik Patil: Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises
R P N Singh: Road Transport & Highways
Shashi Tharoor: External Affairs
Vincent Pala: Water Resources
Pradeep Jain: Rural Development
Agatha Sangma: Rural Development
Ajay Maken: Home Affairs
Jitin Prasada: Petroleum & Natural Gas
E. Ahamed: Railways
Srikant Jena: Chemicals & Fertilizers
Mullappally Ramachandran: Home Affairs
V. Narayansamy: Planning, Parliamentary Affairs
Jyotiraditya Scindia: Commerce & Industry
D. Purandeswari: Human Resource Development
K H Muniyappa: Railways
Panabaka Lakshmi: Textiles
Namo Narain Meena: Finance
M M. Pallam Raju: Defence
Saugata Ray: Urban Development
S.S. Palanimanickam: Finance
A Sai Prathap: Steel
Preneet Kaur: External Affairs
Gurudas Kamath: IT & Communications
Harish Rawat: Labour & Employment
K V Thomas: Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Bharatsinh Solanki: Power

May 28, 2009, 2:06 pm

Sibal gets HRD, Kamal Nath loses Commerce

Kapil Sibal has been given the all-important Human Resource Development Ministry in the new UPA government, the portfolios to which were announced on Thursday night.

Congress loyalist and spokesperson Veerappa Moily will be country’s new Law Minister, replacing HR Bharadwaj of the previous government.

Ambika Soni, who had Tourism and Culture in the earlier government, will be country’s next Information Broadcasting Minister, replacing Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi who is hospitalised after having suffered a stroke.

But the biggest surprise perhaps is Kamal Nath who’s been moved from Commerce Ministry to Roads and Highways. The Commerce Ministry has been given to Anand Sharma – MoS for external ministry in the previous government.

There are no surprises for Murli Deora, NCP’s Praful Patel and Sushil Kumar Shinde who will retain their previous ministries – Petroleum, Civil Aviation and Power respectively.Party warhorse Jaipal Reddy has been alloted the Urban Development Ministry portfolio and DMK’s A Raja has been given the IT and Telecom Ministry.

Another Congress loyalist and prominent Muslim leader Salman Khursheed has been given the Minority Affairs Ministry.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has been given Health and Family Welfare while Farooq Abdullah got New and Renewable Energy.

Meira Kumar gets Water Resources Minister and Virbhadra Singh is the new Steel Minister.

While eight of the Cabinet Ministers retained the portfolios they had in the previous UPA government, Singh sprang surprises by giving Shipping to G K Vasan, Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises to Vilasrao Deshmukh and steel to Virbhadra Singh.

New entrants Mukul Wasnik, a Dalit leader, gets Social Justice and Empowerment, Mallikarjun Kharge Labour and Employment, B K Handique Minister for Mines and Development of North Eastern Region, C P Joshi Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Kantilal Bhuria Tribal Affairs.

Selja, who has been elevated to Cabinet rank, has been given Tourism besides Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation which she earlier had

Prithviraj Chavan gets Science and Technology and Earth Sciences with Independent Charge besides continuing as MoS in PMO, Personnel and Public Grievances. He has also been made MoS in Parliamentary Affairs.

Dinsha Patel, another MoS with Independent charge, gets Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises while Krishna Tirath gets Women and Child Development and Jairam Ramesh Environment and Forest. Earlier in the day, over two dozen Congress leaders, who were inducted in the Council of Ministers, met party President Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence to express gratitude for their inclusion in the government.

Sonia met each leader briefly and is understood to have asked them to perform well in the government. Among those who called on the Congress chief were first- time union ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sachin Pilot, Pradeep Jain, Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor.

Tharoor, a former UN Undersecretary General, made his maiden entry into the Lok Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram and was made a Minister of State. Ajay Maken, Krishna Tirath, Selja, G K Vasan, Sriprakash Jaiswal also met Sonia.

All for one

President Pratibha Patil talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, standing with newly sworn-in ministers, during a photo session after the swearing in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday.

——————
Dayanidhi Maran

President Pratibha Patil administers the oath of office and secrecy to newly inducted Cabinet Minister Dayanidhi Maran during the second swearing in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday.

——–

PRITHVIRAJ CHAVAN

President Pratibha Patil administers the oath of office and secrecy to newly inducted Minister of State (Independent charge) Prithviraj Chavan during the second swearing in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday.

——-

PAWAN BANSAL

President Pratibha Patil administers the oath of office and secrecy to newly inducted Cabinet Minister Pawan Bansal during the second swearing in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday.

———

SUBODH KANT SAHAY

President Pratibha Patil administers the oath of office and secrecy to Subodh Kant Sahay during the second swearing in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday.

Manmohan Singh begins 2nd term as PM

May 22, 2009, 3:57 pm
Will fix economy

Click here to watch the live coverage!

PM Manmohan Singh on Friday assumed office for a second consecutive term and said that his govt’s focus will be on restoring the economy and fostering growth.

“Our first priority is to restore the economy, especially keeping the global recession (in mind),” the Prime Minister told reporters after taking oath of office and secrecy along with 19 Cabinet Ministers.

“Industrial production is down. Certain sectors need revival, though the Indian economy is not so badly affected. Corrected measures have to be taken. Growth will be our main focus. And when I mean growth, I mean inclusive growth that will carry everyone along, including the underprivileged in the country,” he said.

The Prime Minister also expressed hopes that Pakistan would cooperate with New Delhi “on all matters”.

“Terrorism is a problem everywhere. My sincere hope is that Pakistan would cooperate with India on all matters,” Manmohan Singh told reporters waiting outside the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Earlier, Dr Manmohan Singh along with a 19-member team was administered oath of office and secrecy by President Pratibha Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The 76-year-old, soft-spoken economist is the first Prime Minister since the country’s post-independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru to be returned to office after completing a full term.

Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, A K Antony, P Chidambaram, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, former Chief Ministers S M Krishna, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Veerappa Moily were among those who were inducted in the Cabinet.

Sushilkumar Shinde, S Jaipal Reddy, Kamal Nath, Vayalar Ravi, Meira Kumar, Murli Deora, Kapil Sibal, Ambika Soni, B K Handique, Anand Sharma and C P Joshi also took oath.

Those who were a part of the previous government but did not find a place this time around were Law Minister H R Bhardwaj, HRD Minister Arjun Singh, Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz and Mines Minister Sis Ram Ola.

India to swear in 19 cabinet members

Fri, May 22 03:24 PM

(L-R) Congress party leaders A. K. Antony, Pranab Mukherjee, party chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister-elect… Congress party leaders A. K. Antony, Pranab Mukherjee, party chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister-elect

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be sworn in at the head of a new 19-member cabinet on Friday even though a southern ally insisted it would not join the government because of differences over ministerial positions.

Singh named veteran colleagues in his Congress party such as Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee in his new cabinet, suggesting a continuity from the previous administration at a time of slowing economic growth.

Portfolios have not been allocated.

With a stronger mandate behind it after a general election, the Congress sought to project a firm stance, refusing to yield to regional parties demanding ministerial positions in the new cabinet.

But the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party from Tamil Nadu insisted on Friday it would offer its 18 lawmakers only as outside support rather than be part of the coalition’s parliamentary majority after it was offered a smaller number of ministerial jobs.

Unlike the previous administration, the Congress-led coalition is assured of the support of more than 300 members of the lower house of parliament, well above the half-way mark of 272 required to rule.

No DMK lawmaker was named among the 19 cabinet members. But a statement from Singh’s office said the council of ministers, including the cabinet, would be expanded “in the next few days”.

“This expansion will give due representation to allied parties,” it said.

The Indian Express said the DMK had been offered six positions in the cabinet instead of the eight it wanted, and that there was also wrangling over the portfolios.

A soft-spoken economist, 76-year-old Singh will be sworn in by President Pratibha Patil at about 6:30 p.m..

Party stalwart Mukherjee was the frontrunner for the finance minister’s job, a post he held in the 1980s.

Mukherjee is seen as a stable hand with a history of pushing reforms, including signing up for a WTO agreement giving nations more access to global trade in 1994 when he was commerce minister.

Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, among the 19 named, has been tipped by some media reports to assume Mukherjee’s old job at the foreign ministry. Home minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, who took over after the Mumbai attacks, will likely stay in his post.

“Blessed with a decisive mandate and largely free from rent-seekers, Manmohan Singh has far more leeway in choosing his next cabinet than he did his last,” the Indian Express wrote.

REFORMS

Unfettered by their former leftist allies, Congress is also expected to push reforms such as raising the foreign investment limit in insurance and opening up the pension sector.

The Indian stock market surged earlier this week as investors welcomed Singh’s strong mandate, which raised expectations for aggressive economic reforms at a time when growth in Asia’s third-largest economy has slowed to 6.5 percent.

“The election is seen by many as a game changer. India has a real chance of breaking out, attracting strong inflows and being positioned in investors’ minds alongside China,” the Business Standard said.

“The new government has the mandate, there is a huge opportunity to bring about structural change across sectors, and (the) policy road map is also clear. We need the new government to deliver,” the newspaper said.

Besides the slowdown, Singh’s second term will face an array of challenges such as fraught relations with old rival Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks and a potential showdown with wealthier countries at the Doha world trade talks.

Rahul Gandhi will NOT join cabinet

May 22, 2009, 3:58 pm
According to PM

PM Manmohan Singh on Friday cleared that Rahul Gandhi is not keen on joining his government.

“Rahul Gandhi has so far not agreed to join government, but I have not given up hope,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said shortly after the swearing-in ceremony.

Meanwhile, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also cleared that strengthening the party was Rahul Gandhi’s main responsibility.

Rahul Gandhi attended the ceremony, sitting along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra. .

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier stated that he was keen on having Rahul in his ministerial team but the AICC General Secretary has been reluctant to take up a position in the cabinet and voiced preference for party work.

“I have made up my mind and you will soon come to know about it,” said Rahul. He insisted that he would like to concentrate on strengthening the front organisations of the party for which he had drawn up crucial plans.

The ministers sworn in today did not include any of the young faces from the so called “Rahul Brigade” but they are expected to be inducted in the next Cabinet expansion.

Lok Sabha elects one of its own members as its Presiding Officer and he is called the Speaker. He is assisted by the Deputy Speaker who is also elected by Lok Sabha. The conduct of business in Lok Sabha is the responsibility of the Speaker.

The Vice-President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha. He is elected by the members of an electoral college consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament. Rajya Sabha also elects one of its members to be the Deputy Chairman.

Functions of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

The main function of both the Houses is to pass laws. Every Bill has to be passed by both the Houses and assented to by the President before it becomes law. The subjects over which Parliament can legislate are the subjects mentioned under the Union List in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. Broadly speaking, Union subjects are those important subjects which for reasons of convenience, efficiency and security are administered on all-India basis. The principal Union subjects are Defence, Foreign Affairs, Railways, Transport and Communications, Currency and Coinage, Banking, Customs and Excise Duties. There are numerous other subjects on which both Parliament and State Legislatures can legislate.

Under this category mention may be made of economic and social planning, social security and insurance, labour welfare, price control and vital statistics.

Besides passing laws, Parliament can by means of resolutions, motions for adjournment, discussions and questions addressed by members to Ministers exercise control over the administration of the country and safeguard people’s liberties.

Difference between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

(1) Members of Lok Sabha are directly elected by the eligible voters. Members of Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of State Legislative Assemblies in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote.

(2) The normal life of every Lok Sabha is 5 years only while Rajya Sabha is a permanent body.

(3) Lok Sabha is the House to which the Council of Ministers is responsible under the Constitution. Money Bills can only be introduced in Lok Sabha. Also it is Lok Sabha which grants the money for running the administration of the country.

(4) Rajya Sabha has special powers to declare that it is necessary and expedient in the national interest that Parliament may make laws with respect to a matter in the State List or to create by law one or more all-India services common to the Union and the States.

Rajya Sabha is the Upper House of Parliament. It has not more than 250 members. Members of Rajya Sabha are not elected by the people directly but indirectly by the Legislative Assemblies of the various States. Every State is allotted a certain number of members. No member of Rajya Sabha can be under 30 years of age.

Twelve of Rajya Sabha members are nominated by the President from persons who have earned distinction in the fields of literature, art, science and social service.

Rajya Sabha is a permanent body. It is not subject to dissolution but one-third of its members retire every two years. Rajya Sabha was duly constituted for the first time on April 3, 1952 and it held its first sitting on May 13, that year.

There are at present 245 members in Rajya Sabha, distributed among different States and Union Territories as follows:

(1) Andhra Pradesh 18

(2) Arunachal Pradesh 1

(3) Assam 7

(4) Bihar 16

(5) Chhattisgarh 5

(6) Goa 1

(7) Gujarat 11

(8) Haryana 5

(9) Himachal Pradesh 3

(10) Jammu & Kashmir 4

(11) Jharkhand 6

(12) Karnataka 12

(13) Kerala 9

(14) Madhya Pradesh 11

(15) Maharashtra 19

(16) Manipur 1

(17) Meghalaya 1

(18) Mizoram 1

(19) Nagaland 1

(20) Orissa 10

(21) Punjab 7

(22) Rajasthan 10

(23) Sikkim 1

(24) Tamil Nadu 18

(25) Tripura 1

(26) Uttaranchal 3

(27) Uttar Pradesh 31

(28) West Bengal 16

(29) NCT of Delhi 3

(30) Pondicherry 1

(31) Nominated by the President under 12 Article 80(1)(a) of the Constitution

Lok Sabha, as the name itself signifies, is the body of representatives of the people. Its members are directly elected, normally once in every five years by the adult population who are eligible to vote. The minimum qualifying age for membership of the House is 25 years. The present membership of Lok Sabha is 545. The number is divided among the different States and Union Territories as follows:

(1) Andhra Pradesh 42

(2) Arunachal Pradesh 2

(3) Assam 14

(4) Bihar 40

(5) Chhattisgarh 11

(6) Goa 2

(7) Gujarat 26

(8) Haryana 10

(9) Himachal Pradesh 4

(10) Jammu & Kashmir 6

(11) Jharkhand 14

(12) Karnataka 28

(13) Kerala 20

(14) Madhya Pradesh 29

(15) Maharashtra 48

(16) Manipur 2

(17) Meghalaya 2

(18) Mizoram 1

(19) Nagaland 1

(20) Orissa 21

(21) Punjab 13

(22) Rajasthan 25

(23) Sikkim 1

(24) Tamil Nadu 39

(25) Tripura 2

(26) Uttaranchal 5

(27) Uttar Pradesh 80

(28) West Bengal 42

(29) Andaman & Nicobar Islands 1

(30) Chandigarh 1

(31) Dadra & Nagar Haveli 1

(32) Daman & Diu 1

(33) NCT of Delhi 7

(34) Lakshadweep 1

(35) Pondicherry 1

(36) Anglo-Indians (if nominated 2 by the President under Article 331 of the Constitution)

LOK SABHA
RAJYA SABHA
India – Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

Parliament is the supreme legislative body of a country. Our Parliament comprises of the President and the two Houses-Lok Sabha (House of the People) and Rajya Sabha (Council of States). The President has the power to summon and prorogue either House of Parliament or to dissolve Lok Sabha.

The Constitution of India came into force on January 26, 1950. The first general elections under the new Constitution were held during the year 1951-52 and the first elected Parliament came into being in April, 1952, the Second Lok Sabha in April, 1957, the Third Lok Sabha in April, 1962, the Fourth Lok Sabha in March, 1967, the Fifth Lok Sabha in March, 1971, the Sixth Lok Sabha in March, 1977, the Seventh Lok Sabha in January, 1980, the Eighth Lok Sabha in December, 1984, the Ninth Lok Sabha in December, 1989, the Tenth Lok Sabha in June, 1991, the Eleventh Lok Sabha in May, 1996, the Twelfth Lok Sabha in March, 1998 and Thirteenth Lok Sabha in October, 1999.