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Modi Cabinet Reshuffle: Why was Smriti Irani moved from HRD to Textiles?

The major talking point Modi's cabinet reshuffle was Smriti Irani being shifted from HRD to Textiles.

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The major talking point from Modi govt’s cabinet reshuffle was shuttling Smriti Irani from the high-profile HRD ministry to the less glamorous Textiles department. Irani had been in the eye of the storm for a host of reasons, with the JNU row and Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula’s suicide two of the biggest flashpoints from her regime. While some reports claim that Irani’s plate is being cleared for a battle in UP where she might be projected as the CM candidate, but it appears that her demotion orders came from the very top.

It's believed she had irked party seniors with her behaviour. Her constant public battles also earned her some brickbats with some BJP leaders feeling she should’ve handled her battles with more grace.

In UP, while some believe that her oratory will stand her in good stead, others feel that Irani has no clout in the state with any particular vote-bank.

Irani for her part was philosophical about the move. She said in Hindi:  ‘Kuch toh log kahenge logon ka kaam hai kehnaa’ (people will speak; it is their job to speak)’. She said the textile ministry, during her tenure, would ensure that weavers are given support to expand their income.

"We will ensure that the weavers who are the very bedrock of this ministry gets full support in order to expand their incomes and pass on the heritage and culture ingrained in the textile sector on to the next generation," she added.

She described the textile sector as the second largest employer after the agriculture sector and added, "I also recognise that the needs of not only the weavers, but also industry at large with regard to expansion in the garment facilitation and garment production in consistent and continued effort with this ministry, and that is the effort I hope to strengthen in my tenure."

A fortnight ago the cabinet cleared Rs 6000 crore package aimed at improving the sector’s competitiveness and generating employment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expanded his Union Council of Ministers with the addition of 19 new ministers of state. The new faces inducted are mainly from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The decision to expand the Council of Ministers came after taking into consideration a diverse range of factors.

Modi's first major cabinet reshuffle took place in November 2014. After the second reshuffle, there are currently 78 ministers in the Cabinet. According to the Constitution, a maximum of 82 ministers can be accommodated in the Union Cabinet.

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