Nirmala Sitharaman Second Woman Defence Minister After Indira Gandhi

New Delhi: Nirmala Sitaraman will be the new Defence Minister of India - the second woman to be in-charge of the portfolio after Indira Gandhi. By virtue of her elevation she automatically is now part of the all-powerful cabinet committee on security. In the process, the first time MP leapfrogs over senior party colleagues in the cabinet.

The aim to have a full time defence minister assumes importance in the wake of the opposition charge against the government of neglecting the the all-important ministry. 

Broadly speaking, the Prime Minister effects cabinet reshuffles to meet two objectives- administrative spruce-up and political messaging. The former is to shed flab and inject fresh blood into the system. The latter, to reach out to social and caste groups for electoral mobilisation.

In the current shuffling of pack, being widely seen as the last rejig before the next general elections, Prime Minister would have had to do a fine balancing act in choosing the newer and dropping the laggards.

Of all the choices the Prime Minister has had to make- in this reshuffle - as also in the past, the biggest challenge for Mr Modi has been to find the right person for the defence ministry.