Rajnath singh takes charge as a defence minister today. He is among others took charge of their ministries today. Rajnath Singh paid tribute to soldiers at the National War Memorial in New Delhi before taking charge as Defence Minister. Shah met Rajnath at his residence this morning. Newly-elected NDA leaders are likely to meet today, a day after the distribution of portfolios to the 57-member Council of Ministers. The new Council has 24 Cabinet ministers, 9 Ministers of State with independent charge and 24 Ministers of State.
After taking charge, the former home minister held a meeting with Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa and newly appointed Navy chief Karambir Singh.
The defence secretary and several other senior officials of the ministry were also present at the meeting.
Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and top officials of the ministry accorded a warm welcome to Singh.
President Ram Nath Kovind has announced the list of ministries on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP president Amit Shah is the new Home Minister replacing Rajnath Singh while Rajnath Singh will be replacing Nirmala Sitharaman as the Defence Minister.
24 MPs took oath as Cabinet ministers in the new Modi government at a gala swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday. In two of the most significant moves, BJP president Amit Shah took oath as a Cabinet minister right after PM Modi and Rajnath Singh and the appointment of former foreign secretary S Jaishankar as a Cabinet minister.
Rajnath Singh, who held the Home Minister in the previous Modi government is the new Defence Minister replacing Nirmala Sitharaman.
