Prez Assigned Rijiju additional charge of Food Processing Industries

Utkarsh Classes Last Updated 22-03-2024

Prez Assigned Rijiju additional charge of Food Processing Industries

Person in News 4 min read

Union minister Kiren Rijiju was assigned the additional charge of the ministry of food processing industries, as per a notification from the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

This comes after the resignation of Pashupati Kumar Paras from the union council of ministers, who was the president of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP).
President Droupadi Murmu, after accepting Paras' resignation, assigned Kiren Rijiju the food processing industries ministry, in addition to his existing portfolio of the ministry of earth sciences.
Paras' resignation was submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. He announced his candidacy for the Hajipur constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
However, he is awaiting the candidate list from the BJP, RLJP's ally. Paras urged BJP to allocate seats to RLJP members, warning of alternative options if not accommodated.

How Ministers are allocated with portfolios?

The Prime Minister of India is the true executive head of the State and serves as the chief advisor to both the President of India and the Council of Ministers.
Considered the most powerful position, the President often seeks the Prime Minister's advice on critical matters.
After careful deliberation by the cabinet ministers, the Prime Minister advances to make all executive decisions.
As the Head of the Government, the Prime Minister is appointed from the party that wins the majority in the Lok Sabha, making them the head of the Lok Sabha as well. With such influence over the parliament, the Prime Minister assigns portfolios to ministers and can make changes as necessary.
They preside over the Council of Ministers and the Union Cabinet and have the power to select and dismiss members of the cabinet. Additionally, the Prime Minister assigns posts to members within the government.
While the Union Cabinet is headed by the Prime Minister, it is appointed by the President of India.
As per Article 75(3) of the Constitution of India, the Union Cabinet is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.

What is the Union Cabinet?

The cabinet serves as the central body of the councils of ministers, carrying out all major functions under their name.
As the key instrument for government administration and legislation, it plays a vital role in ensuring effective decision-making and efficient operation.
Composed of 15-18 senior ministers from the council, the cabinet is responsible for driving progress and achieving results.
Although the British conventions that inspired the Indian constitution did not originally include the term "cabinet," it was officially introduced through the 44th constitutional amendment act of 1978 under article 352.
It is important to note that while council members may also be cabinet members, this is not a requirement.