Kiren Rijiju loses Law Ministry, now assigned to Ministry of Earth Sciences

Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State, will replace Kiren Rijiju as Minister with Independent Charge of the Law Ministry.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday lost the Law Ministry and has been assigned to the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State in charge of Parliamentary Affairs, will now also have Independent Charge of the Law Ministry. This is the first time in recent history that the Law Minister is not of cabinet rank. 

Meghwal is currently the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and the Minister of State for Culture.

A short statement from the President's House announced the change this morning, citing the Prime Minister's advice.  President Droupadi Murmu, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has reallocated portfolios among ministers in the Union Council of Ministers, a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has been pleased to direct the following reallocation of portfolios among Ministers in the Union Council of Ministers:-

• The portfolio of the Ministry of Earth Sciences to be assigned to Kiren Rijiju.
• Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State to be assigned the independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice in addition to his existing portfolios, in place of Kiren Rijiju.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh was holding charge of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Rijiju took over as the Law and Justice Minister on July 8, 2021. Prior to this, he served as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Youth Affairs and Sports from May 2019 to July 2021.