Jyotiraditya Scindia heads ministry held by his father 30 years ago: All you need to know!

New Civil Aviation Minister: Jyotiraditya Scindia has been appointed as India's new Civil Aviation Minister, following his father's footsteps. Scindia is among the 15 new Ministers who were sworn into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet on July 7, 2021. 

His late father, Madhavrao Scindia had held the civil aviation portfolio under the PV Narasimha Rao-led central government between 1991 and 1993.

Jyotiraditya Scindia reportedly got the Civil Aviation Minister portfolio as the BJP leadership felt that the civil aviation sector needed a young face to represent it. His induction is expected to bring in new energy and ideas to make the sector more dynamic in the post-COVID world. 

Speaking after the oath-taking ceremony,  Jyotiraditya Scindia said, "I'll try to carry out the responsibility to the best of my ability. I hope to meet all expectations. I'll work hard, just like I worked for the people in last 15-20 years."

Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia arrives at BJP office before taking charge.

He says, "I'll try to carry out the responsibility to the best of my ability. I hope to meet all expectations. I'll work hard, just like I worked for the people in last 15-20 years." pic.twitter.com/KfbRATETVt

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2021

Who is India's new Civil Aviation Minister?

Former senior Congress leader, Jyotiraditya Scindia is India's new Civil Aviation Minister. He succeeds Hardeep Singh Puri, who is the new Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia: All you need to know about him!

• Jyotiraditya Scindia is a Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh. 

• The former Congress heavyweight had switched over to the BJP on March 11, 2020.

• The 50-year-old leader had served as the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power from October 2012 till May 2014 under the earlier UPA government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

• Jyotiraditya Scindia is also a former Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, representing the Guna constituency in Madhya Pradesh. He, however, lost his traditional family seat in the 2019 Indian general elections. 

• He is a former member of the Indian National Congress and presently a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

• Jyotiraditya Scindia had been inducted into the UPA government in 2007 and remained a part of the Union Cabinet till 2014 by serving as a minister of state for communications, commerce and industry and power.

• He had begun his political journey when he had contested his maiden election as a Congress candidate in 2002 in the Guna constituency by-poll after the sudden death of his father, Madhavrao Scindia, in a plane crash.

• Jyotiraditya Scindia was elected from the Guna constituency again for the fourth time in the 2014 General Elections but lost from it in the 2019 Elections to BJP candidate KP Yadav. 

Background

Jyotiraditya Scindia got a cabinet berth in the first major reshuffle of the Council of Ministers since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge for a second term in May 2019. Overall, 43 new Cabinet Ministers were administered the oath of office by President Ram Nath Kovind on July 7, 2021.