Women in Narendra Modi’s Cabinet: First Women External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj

Senior BJP leader Sushma swaraj created another record. She already has a record of being the youngest minister and now she is now the first women external minister. She took oath as a cabinet minister in Modi’s sworn-in ceremony and is allotted the external affairs ministry.

New Delhi: Sushma Swaraj began her political career through ABVP when she was a student. Determination and dedication are her stepping stones to success. She became a minister at the age of 25 years in Haryana government in 1977. She was the first women chief minister of Delhi in 1998. She was also the first women to work as an official representative of a political party.

Sushma swaraj was given the best parliamentarian award. She was elected to Lok Sabha seven times and for assembly thrice. She is a lawyer by profession and worked in Supreme Court for some time.

She is assuming the charge of external affairs and overseas Indian affairs ministry when relations with other countries such as China and Pakistan are very sensitive. Sushma won from Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency.

Nirmala Sitaraman is another women minister in Modi’s government. She is not representing any Lok Sabha constituency nor is not a member of Rajya Sabha. She was born on August 18, 1959 in Tamil Nadu. Presently she is residing in Hyderabad. She completed her graduation from Sitalakshmi Ramaswamy College in 1980. She studied MPhil in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She married Dr. Parakala Prabhakar from Andhra Pradesh. She also worked as member of National Women Commission. She played a crucial role in obtaining media support for Modi. She is a good orator and though she is never in politics, Modi included her in his team.

Other women ministers in Modi’s cabinet are Uma Bharati who is allocated the water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation portfolio. Najma Heptullah will look after minority affairs. Maneka Gandhi is given the responsibility of women and child development. Smriti Irani who lost in the elections to Rahul Gandhi is also inducted into the cabinet as human resource development minister. She is the youngest minister in Modi’s cabinet.