10 Ministers Who've Stood the Test of Time in Over a Decade of PM Modi's Cabinet

The continuity becomes more significant when placed against the backdrop of the last 11 years of the Modi government. Since May 2014, a total of 70 ministers have been dropped.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

Amidst reports and the possibility of the first cabinet reshuffle of the third Narendra Modi government, attention has turned to a quieter story of continuity—10 ministers who have been part of the Modi cabinet since 2014 when the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi first came to power, maintaining an unbroken ministerial tenure across three terms and multiple reshuffles.

These 10—eight from the original cabinet sworn in on 26 May 2014, and two more inducted in the first major reshuffle of November 2014—form the enduring core of Modi's governance model. While their portfolios have changed, responsibilities expanded, and some have moved from Minister of State to full Cabinet rank, they have continued in office even as over 70 ministers have exited during the same period. It needs to be mentioned that Home Minister Amit Shah is not mentioned on this list because he joined the cabinet later in 2019. He was BJP president at the time, and is one of the most important pillars of the government.