Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday assumed charge as Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, the 35th leader to hold the portfolio since Independence.

He succeeds Anurag Singh Thakur, who held the coveted post for nearly three years in the previous BJP-led government.

Vaishnaw, who also holds key portfolios such as Railways and Electronics and Information Technology, assumed the charge as Information and Broadcasting Minister in the presence of senior officials, including I&B Secretary Sanjay Jaju.

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan was also present on the occasion.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made service to the poorest of poor the motto of his life and the main aim of the government. He has taken measures for welfare of the farmers, youth and empowerment of women," Vaishnaw told reporters after assuming charge.

He said PM Modi has worked to make India the fifth largest economy which has led to people of India blessing his government.

Known to be a tough taskmaster, the 53-year-old bureaucrat-turned-politician was inducted as a minister for the first time in July 2021 and has earned respect of his colleagues.

A Rajya Sabha member from Odisha, he was appointed as deputy secretary in the office of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002 when the BJP had an alliance with the BJD.

Vaishnaw is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur.

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