Formation of new Cabinet with some heavyweights out of ministry

Bureau,Odishabarta

New Delhi:Large Union Cabinet with total 77 ministers with a big reshuffle in portfolios has some former ministers including some heavyweight ones being now out of ministry is now having maximum women and youth ministers. It is good that women constituting half of the population have been given increased representation. But women-empowerment will be complete when long-pending Women-Reservation-Bill to provide 33-percent reservation to women is legislated. It is also time for a youth Parliament for the country when some upper age-limit may be fixed to contest direct elections. Experienced ones if needed in government can be made Rajya Sabha members but with useless constitutional concept of Upper Houses in states abolished. It is good that educational qualification is also given weightage for new ministers. But time has come that at least graduation may be compulsory for being member of any legislative body. It is indeed shame that invalid votes are found even in elections for post of President where only MPs and MLAs vote. However legislative expenses should be drastically cut by doing away with pensions of members of Parliament and state legislatures especially because it is now abolished for government-employees.

It is good that Prime Minister rejected dynastic claim of Chirag Paswan for political legacy of his father late Ram Vilas Paswan, instead including Pashupati Kumar Paras in the ministry. However in such a large ministry, giving additional charges to ministers could be avoided so that Ministers could concentrate more effectively on one ministry rather than rushing from one ministry to other that too situated in different buildings. A total overhaul of ministries would have been better like is done by creation of a new but very important Ministry of Cooperation. For example, Department of Medicines could have been better shifted to Health Ministry from Ministry of Petrochemicals.

Input;Mr.Subash