Virendra Kumar assumes office as MoS for Social Justice and Empowerment

Lok Sabha Member from Madhya Pradesh Virendra Kumar took charge as Minister of State (MoS) for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on Thursday.

He replaced Thawar Chand Gehlot, who was appointed Karnataka governor ahead of the reshuffle on Wednesday.

Kumar is the Member of Parliament from Tikamgarh constituency in Madhya Pradesh.

Kumar has in the past served as Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs in the first Modi government.

He is also a member of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and a member in standing committee on labour.

As many as 43 leaders took oath on Wednesday in the first Union Cabinet reshuffle and expansion after Prime Minister Modi returned to power for a second term in May 2019.

The swearing-in ceremony, which took place at Rashtrapati Bhavan amid COVID-19 protocols, came days ahead of the monsoon session of parliament.

Some of the key figures inducted into Union cabinet include Jyotiraditya Scindia, Bhupender Yadav, Sarbananda Sonowal and Pashupati Kumar Paras.

Seven women MPs took oath as union ministers in the expanded council of ministers.

They include Anupriya Patel, Shobha Karandlaje, Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Meenakshi Lekhi, Annapurna Devi, Pratima Bhoumik and Bharati Pravin Pawar.

Meanwhile, seven Ministers of State (MoS) have been promoted as Union Cabinet Ministers.

Former MoS G Kishan Reddy, Kiren Rijiju, Anurag Singh Thakur, Hardeep Singh Puri, Raj Kumar Singh, Parshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya took oath on July 7.

( With inputs from ANI )

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