Editor's Pick | 72-member NDA Ministry takes charge

Narendra Modi took oath for a third successive term as the Prime Minister of India on Sunday, along with 71 other members of his Council of Ministers. The ceremony was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, with the oath administered by President Droupadi Murmu. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell short of a majority in the Lok Sabha, relying on allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) who have been given a sizeable representation of 11 portfolios. Cabinet positions were allotted to five allies, including H.D. Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular), Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan, Ram Mohan Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and Rajeev Ranjan Singh “Lallan” of the Janata Dal (United). Jayant Chaudhary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal and Pratap Rao Jadhav of the Shiv Sena were accorded the status of Ministers of State with independent charge. Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal, Ram Nath Thakur of the JD(U), Chandrashekhar Pemmasani of the TDP, and Ram Das Athawale of the Republican Party of India, were made Ministers of State. The Nationalist Congress Party was reportedly offered an MoS (independent charge), but is negotiating for a Cabinet position. The Council includes BJP’s first Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, Suresh Gopi. Overall, the ministers represent 24 States as well as castes and minority communities. Forty-three members of the Council are third-term MPs, and 39 have been Ministers before. Upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand also played an important role in how the MPs were accorded positions in the Council. Maharashtra leaders Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Raksha Khadse, and Murlidhar Mohol; Haryana leaders Manohar Lal Khattar, Rao Inderjit Singh, and Krishan Pal Gurjar; and Annapurna Devi and Sanjay Seth from Jharkhand were all included in the Council. The NDA appears to be off to a harmonious beginning, but will need leadership and compromise by all parties to keep it going. The Hindu’s Editorials Recalcitrant jumbo: On inflation A NEET mess: On the conduct of the medical entrance test The Hindu’s Daily Quiz When was the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITGA) implemented? 2010 2005 2002 1996 To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 10 June 2024 [The Hindu logo] [EP Logo] Editor's Pick 10 June 2024 In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( 72-member NDA Ministry takes charge Narendra Modi took oath for a third successive term as the Prime Minister of India on Sunday, along with 71 other members of his Council of Ministers. The ceremony was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, with the oath administered by President Droupadi Murmu. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell short of a majority in the Lok Sabha, relying on allies in the [National Democratic Alliance]( (NDA) who have been given a sizeable representation of 11 portfolios. Cabinet positions were allotted to five allies, including H.D. Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular), Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan, Ram Mohan Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and Rajeev Ranjan Singh “Lallan” of the Janata Dal (United). Jayant Chaudhary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal and Pratap Rao Jadhav of the Shiv Sena were accorded the status of Ministers of State with independent charge. Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal, Ram Nath Thakur of the JD(U), Chandrashekhar Pemmasani of the TDP, and Ram Das Athawale of the Republican Party of India, were made Ministers of State. The Nationalist Congress Party was reportedly offered an MoS (independent charge), but is negotiating for a Cabinet position. The Council includes BJP’s first Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, Suresh Gopi. Overall, the ministers represent 24 States as well as castes and minority communities. Forty-three members of the Council are third-term MPs, and 39 have been Ministers before. Upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand also played an important role in how the MPs were accorded positions in the Council. Maharashtra leaders Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Raksha Khadse, and Murlidhar Mohol; Haryana leaders Manohar Lal Khattar, Rao Inderjit Singh, and Krishan Pal Gurjar; and Annapurna Devi and Sanjay Seth from Jharkhand were all included in the Council. The NDA appears to be off to a harmonious beginning, but will need leadership and compromise by all parties to keep it going. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][Recalcitrant jumbo: On inflation]( [Arrow][A NEET mess: On the conduct of the medical entrance test]( The Hindu’s Daily Quiz When was the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITGA) implemented? - 2010 - 2005 - 2002 - 1996 To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. 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