Nirmala Sitharaman is an Indian politician with the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), and has served as Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs since 2019 (this is as of March 2024). In the first Modi government, Sitharaman served as the Minister of Defence between 2017 and 2019, thereby becoming India’s second female defence minister and the second female finance minister after Indira Gandhi, and the first full-time female minister to hold each of those portfolios.
Sitharaman first joined the BJP in 2004 and was appointed party spokesperson six years later. She was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2014. While presenting her first budget, she made a statement by replacing the traditional budget briefcase with a ‘bahi-khata’ with the National Emblem to carry the speech and other documents.
A Good positive step by the Defence minister .
It’s a wise step in the right direction that was causing a great deal of humiliation and consternation among the defence personnel. It was rightly being construed as a deliberate step by the present govt to downgrade the status of the defence forces and it was seriously harming the morale of the forces. Restoration of the status quo is a welcome step by the RM.
Fully agree with the above post. I believe the issue had created lot of dissatisfaction which could have been avoided. A good positive step by the defense minister.
Good work. There is a requirement to put in place mechanisms which will prevent recurrence of such one handed sleight to the armed forces. This can only be done is there a consultative mechanism in place wherein the stakeholders are involved in each and every decision taken. At present, the bereaucracy in the name of civilian supremacy is riding roughshod over the forces. Dear RM should look into this matter with the urgency it requires. It will also help if she keeps in mind the fact that armed forces are one of the least politicised in the world with the country’s constitution and it’s unity being their primary interest.