Politics

Narendra Modi swearing-in ceremony: Nirmala Sitharaman takes oath as Union Minister

Updated : May 30, 2019 07:36 PM IST

Nirmala Sitharaman is best known for her role as the defence minister after she took charge of the ministry from the incumbent Manohar Parrikar on September 3, 2017.

The surgical strike inside Pakistan territory of Balakot, which came in response to the ghastly terror attack in Pulwama, took place under Sitharaman’s watch.

Prior to the defence minister’s portfolio, Sitharaman served as the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs.

Narendra Modi swearing-in ceremony: Nirmala Sitharaman takes oath as Union Minister

Nirmala Sitharaman is best known for her role as the defence minister after she took charge of the ministry from Manohar Parrikar on September 3, 2017. The surgical strike inside Pakistan territory of Balakot, which came in response to the ghastly terror attack in Pulwama, took place under Sitharaman’s watch.

Sitharaman remained in the limelight during the latter days of the NDA regime due to corruption allegations pertaining to the purchase of Rafale jets from France. She was often the government’s mouthpiece defending the propriety of the deal.

A Jawaharlal Nehru University alumna, Sitharaman is only the second woman defence minister after the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi — who served for two years from 1980 to 1982 — in India’s history.

Prior to the defence minister’s portfolio, Sitharaman served as the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs.

She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2008 and became part of the Narendra Modi government as a junior minister in 2014. She served as the BJP’s national spokesperson during 2010-14 before Shaina NC succeeded her.

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