- By JE News Desk
- Thu, 18 May 2023 11:59 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
IN A major reshuffle in the Modi cabinet, Arjun Ram Meghwal has replaced Kiren Rijiju as the Union Law Minister and has been appointed as the Union Minister of the Earth Sciences Ministry. According to the official communique of the President's Secretariate, Arjun Ram Meghwal will also get the existing portfolios of Rijiju apart from the Law and Justice Ministry as a part of this reshuffle.
In a parliamentary set-up of government, the President (who is the nominal head of the country) appoints cabinet ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister.
"The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has been pleased to direct the following reallocation of portfolios among Ministers in the Union Council of Ministers, the portfolio of Ministry of Earth Sciences be assigned to Kiren Rijiju and Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State be assigned the independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice in addition to his existing portfolios, in place of Shri Kiren Rijiju," the communique said
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Meghwal is currently the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and the Minister of State for Culture. Meanwhile, Rijiju took over as the Law and Justice Minister on July 8, 2021. He served as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Youth Affairs and Sports from May 2019 to July 2021. Union Minister Jitendra Singh was holding charge of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Before taking charge of the Union Law Ministry, Kiren Rijiju had served as the Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports from 2019 to 2021. Lately Rijiju had been in a verbal clash with senior judges of Supreme Court over disagreement on the issue of appointment of justices with the current collegium system. He had even asked for system to be put in plae in which the government would have a representation in picking Supreme Court justices, including the Chief Justice. During that confrontational phase, he had accused some retired judges and activists of being part of the 'anti-India gang' trying to make Supreme Court play the role of opposition.
Rijiju had got the coveted post of Union Law Minister after Ravi Shankar Prasad, who had held the portfolio in 2021, resigned.