Ashwini Vaishnaw assumes additional charge as I&B minister in Modi Cabinet 3.0

| Updated: 11 June, 2024 5:06 pm IST
Ashwini Vaishnaw assumes additional charge as I&B minister.

NEW DELHI: Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Railway Minister, has taken on the added responsibility of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in the newly formed Modi government.

Vaishnaw, a former bureaucrat, has been recognised for his significant contributions, particularly in the realms of infrastructure development and technology integration.

Vaishnaw, who has retained his position as Railway Minister, now oversees three key ministries: Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology. His appointment comes as the government seeks to maintain momentum in crucial sectors while ensuring efficient governance.

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The Information and Broadcasting ministry was previously looked after by Hamirpur MP, Anurag Thakur. Additionally, L Murugan has assumed charge as the Minister of state for Information and Broadcasting. Previously, Murugan was the Union Minister of State in July 2021. He is also the former Tamil Nadu president of the BJP.

During his tenure as Railway Minister, Vaishnaw spearheaded several initiatives, including the introduction of 98 semi-high speed Vande Bharat trains. These trains have garnered immense popularity, with over 2.15 crore passengers having traveled on them by March 31, 2024. Additionally, under Vaishnaw’s leadership, the Railway achieved a historic milestone by laying 3,901 km of tracks in 2022-23. The Wharton-educated minister is an alumnus of the prestigious IIT Kanpur.

As he assumes charge of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Vaishnaw faces the task of continuing the positive trajectory in India’s electronic and IT sectors. During his tenure, mobile phone manufacturing in the country surged, crossing the Rs 4.1 lakh crore production mark. This remarkable growth underscores India’s progress towards self-reliance in technology.

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Among the pending tasks for Vaishnaw is the formulation of rules for implementing the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and the proposed Digital India Act. These initiatives are crucial for safeguarding digital privacy and fostering innovation in the digital domain.

While senior leaders like Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Nitin Gadkari retain their previous portfolios, new faces like Shivraj Singh Chouhan and J.P. Nadda bring fresh perspectives to the Cabinet.

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