72 ministers took oath, how many more ministers can be included in Modi cabinet

New Delhi: A 72-member Council of Ministers was sworn in on Sunday in the third term of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and this number is only nine less than the maximum approved number of 81. Earlier, the maximum number of ministers in the Council of Ministers of Modi’s previous government from 2019 to 2024 was 78. The number of the current Council of Ministers is six less than this. After the cabinet expansion in Modi’s previous government, the number of members of the Council of Ministers increased to 78 in 2021, but before the new Council of Ministers was sworn in, the number of ministers in the government was 72.

The third term of the NDA government has a maximum of 31 cabinet ministers including Prime Minister Modi. Apart from this, there are five ministers of state (independent charge) and 36 ministers of state. The previous government led by Modi included 26 cabinet ministers, three ministers of state (independent charge) and 42 ministers of state. When the cabinet was expanded in July 2021, it had a maximum of 78 ministers with 30 cabinet ministers, 2 ministers of state (independent charge) and 45 ministers of state.

When BJP defeated Congress and came to power in May 2014, the council of ministers had 46 ministers including 24 cabinet ministers, 10 ministers of state (independent charge) and 12 ministers of state. This included the Prime Minister himself. The maximum number of ministers including the Prime Minister was 79 in the government led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in May 2009. Even during the first term of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the maximum number of ministers in the government led by Manmohan Singh was 79. The government led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had 74 ministers in 1999.