India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi named a female legislator as India’s new defence minister on Sunday, the first time a woman has been appointed to the key post overseeing border tensions with China and Pakistan.
Nirmala Sitharaman’s appointment in a cabinet reshuffle will ease the burden on Arun Jaitley, who had been juggling finance and defence throughout a months-long impasse with China over a strategic Himalayan plateau.
Modi also dropped Suresh Prabhu as railways minister, less than a week after he offered to resign following a train accident in August that killed 10.
Nine junior ministers were sworn in and four promoted to the cabinet in the reshuffle, the third shake-up since Modi was elected in 2014.
“I congratulate all those who have taken oath today. Their experience and wisdom will add immense value to the Council of Ministers,” Modi said after the swearing-in ceremony at the presidential palace.