Jaishankar welcomes Kirti Vardhan Singh, Pabitra Margherita, new Ministers of State, to Team MEA

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday welcomed Kirti Vardhan Singh and Pabitra Margherita, the two newly-appointed Ministers of State, in the External Affairs Ministry to Team MEA.

While Kirti Vardhan Singh is a five-time BJP MP from Gonda in Uttar Pradesh, Margherita is a Rajya Sabha member from Assam.

“Welcomed Ministers of State @KVSinghMPGonda and @PmargheritaBJP to #TeamMEA,” Jaishankar said in a post on X which was accompanied by his pictures with the two ministers.

Jaishankar took oath as Cabinet Minister at the ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday. Kirti Vardhan Singh and Pabitra Margherita took oath as Ministers of State in the ceremony.

Jaishankar was the External Affairs Minister in the previous BJP-led NDA government and retained the portfolio in the allocation done on Monday.

Following the portfolio allocation, Jaishankar welcomed the two junior ministers in his team and said that Team MEA has worked over the last decade on a people-centric foreign policy.

“Deeply honored to be appointed as the Minister of External Affairs in PM @narendramodi’s Government. Welcome colleagues MoS @KVSinghMPGonda & MoS @PmargheritaBJP to the Ministry. #TeamMEA has worked over the last decade on a people-centric foreign policy. Our commitment to Bharat First and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam will facilitate the making of a Vishwabandhu Bharat,” he said in a post on X on Monday.

Jaishankar and his two junior ministers in MEA assumed charge of their offices on Tuesday.

Kirti Vardhan Singh is also Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

He planted saplings at his residence in the national capital ahead of his first day in office.

In his long innings as an MP, Kirti Vardhan Singh has been a member of several parliamentary committees including Commerce, Defence, Science, Technology, Environment and Forests and Chemicals and Fertilizers.

Pabitra Margherita was elected to Rajya Sabha in 2022, Margherita has been a magazine editor and filmmaker. He has been associated with the BJP since 2014 and also served as political secretary to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He has contributed to the cultural sphere in Assam.