J Scindia Takes Communications Charge In Modi 3.0, With A UPA-1 Throwback

Jyotiraditya Scindia took charge of Modi 3.0’s Communications Ministry this morning and said it is like coming full circle because he had earlier worked as a junior minister in the same ministry from 2007 to 2009 when the UPA-government under Manmohan Singh was in power. 

Earlier with the Congress, Mr Scindia was Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology in the UPA-1 government. He also held independent charge for Power and Corporate portfolios in the UPA-2 government. This time, he has risen to the cabinet rank.

The Madhya Pradesh leader, who switched from the Congress to the BJP in 2020 following a mutiny that brought down the Kamal Nath government, has been elected to Lok Sabha from his family stronghold Guna for the fifth time. In the second Narendra Modi government, he was a Rajya Sabha MP and handled the portfolios of Steel and Civil Aviation. Besides Communications, Mr Scindia has been tasked with the development of Northeast. Along with his 71 other colleagues in Modi 3.0, Mr Scindia took the oath at Rashtrapati Bhavan Sunday.

“It’s my honour that the Prime Minister has given me the responsibility of the Communications Ministry. Both the telecom and the IndiaPost division have a tremendous role to play on a global as well as on a local stage to join the hearts of millions of people across our country and across the world,” he said after taking charge today.

“Under his leadership, there has been a revolution in this department. And on this day, I vow to persevere and put in my best to ensure that we deliver according to the aspirations of the Prime Minister as well as the 140 crore people across the length and breadth of this country,” he added.

Recollecting his earlier stint in the ministry, Mr Scindia said, “It is also coming full circle. I worked as a junior minister in this department many years ago in 2007. For me, this is a department with which I have enormous emotional ties. It is my sincere effort to ensure we live up to the expectations of the people of India under the leadership of the Prime Minister.”