India gets first female defence minister

A NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi named a female legislator as the new defence minister on Sunday, the first time a woman has been appointed to the key portfolio overseeing border tensions with China and Pakistan.

Nirmala Sitharaman’s appointment in a cabinet reshuffle will ease the burden on Arun Jaitley, who had been juggling finance and defence throughout a months-long impasse with China over a strategic Himalayan plateau.

Modi also dropped Suresh Prabhu as railways minister, less than a week after he offered to resign following a train accident in August that killed 10.

Nine junior ministers were sworn in and four promoted to the cabinet in the reshuffle, the third shake-up since Modi was elected in 2014.

“I congratulate all those who have taken oath today. Their experience and wisdom will add immense value to the Council of Ministers,” Modi said after the swearing-in ceremony at the presidential palace.

Sitharaman, a junior minister who oversaw the commerce and trade portfolio, joins five other women in the cabinet. The prestigious foreign affairs portfolio is also held by a woman, Sushma Swaraj.

“Imagine, the cabinet committee on security having two women and decisions on security-related matters being taken at par with men by the women,” Sitharaman said.

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