Ashwini Vaishnaw has been appointed as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the third term of Prime Minister Modi’s government.
In addition, he will oversee both the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (IT).
Vaishnav, a former IAS officer, held the position of the 39th Minister of Railways. His stewardship witnessed a remarkable transformation in India’s railway sector, marked by significant advancements in infrastructure and innovative solutions. Furthermore, he also served as the 55th Communications Minister and the second Electronics and Information Technology Minister in the Government of India, from 2022 to 2024.
Meanwhile, PM Modi-led NDA government has allocated the Ministry of Communications portfolio to Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Last week, a coalition led by PM Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a third consecutive term in power in India, although with a reduced majority.
Viashnaw has replaced Anurag Thakur, the BJP MP from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, who did not secure a cabinet position this time. He will be working with Loganathan Murugan, who holds the position of Minister of State (MoS) in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Murugan previously served in the same capacity under Thakur.
Vaishnaw, a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, pursued an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School. He became a member of BJP in 2019. He was elected as an MP to represent the state of Odisha in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.
