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India PM Modi makes major cabinet changes for second term

02:41 PM | 31 May, 2019
India PM Modi makes major cabinet changes for second term
NEW DELHI - India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday named his trusted aide Amit Shah to the key home affairs ministry as part of a major cabinet shakeup for his second term in office.

Nirmala Sitharaman moved from defence to become finance minister in a second shock, while career diplomat S. Jaishankar became foreign minister.

Hardline Hindu nationalist Shah was the president of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who masterminded Modi's second straight landslide victory in the country's national election.

Shah, 54, will now pursue Modi's nationalist agenda in internal security, immigration and other key national issues.

A controversial figure, Shah was accused of ordering police to carry out three extrajudicial killings in his home state of Gujarat in 2005. He was banished from the western state for two years before being cleared in 2014 for lack of evidence.

Recently he hit the headlines after comparing illegal immigrants to "termites" that must be thrown out of the country.

But he has been a close confidante of Modi for nearly two decades and some analysts say Shah is now in place to take over the party if Modi stood down.

"Congratulations to @AmitShah ji who transformed BJP into one of the largest political organisations in the world & will now play a bigger role in building #NewIndia," tweeted Shah's cabinet colleague Smriti Irani.

Irani, who defeated opposition Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in his family bastion of Amethi in the election, was handed the ministry of women and child development.

Facing major challenges with the economy, job creation and a farm debt crisis, Modi replaced around three dozen ministers and deputies from the last administration, bringing in many new lawmakers.

- Major rejig -

Sitharaman, 59, became India's first full-time woman finance minister after a similar landmark stint as defence minister. Former premier Indira Gandhi had briefly held the defence and finance portfolios in the 1970s.

As finance minister Sitharaman will be expected to steer India's course through reforms and arrest an economic slowdown in Asia's third-largest economy.

Sithamaramn could get an early idea of economic difficulties ahead when economic growth
figures for January-March are released later Friday.

The previous finance minister, Arun Jaitley, asked not to be considered for a government post because of ill health.

The induction of Jaishankar, a China expert and a former ambassador to Washington, as the new foreign minister was seen as a sign that Modi will put more emphasis on
diplomacy in the sensitive area around India in his second term.

Jaishankar, who was the top foreign ministry official until his retirement last year, was an influential advisor to Modi on diplomacy during his first five years in power.
Jaishankar took the mantle from Sushma Swaraj, a party veteran who underwent a kidney transplant in 2016 and has been beset by poor health.

Modi also set up a new ministry of water power in keeping with his promise to make safe drinking water a priority for his government.

Modi, 24 cabinet rank ministers and more than 30 deputy ministers were sworn in at the presidential palace on Thursday.

Presidents and prime ministers from neighbouring Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives were present, but arch-rival Pakistan was not among those invited.

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Rupee remains stable against US dollar, Euro, Pound, Dirham and Riyal; check forex rates

Pakistani rupee remained stable against US dollar in the open bank market on Friday.

Dollar Rate in Pakistan Today

On Friday, the US dollar was being quoted at 285.3 for buying and 288.15 for selling.

Euro moves down to 311 for buying and 314 for selling. British Pound rate stands at 358.5 for buying, and 361.5 for selling.

UAE Dirham AED stands at 78 whereas the Saudi Riyal rate stands at 76.20.

Today's currency exchange rates in Pakistan – 1 December 2023

Currency Symbol Buying Selling
US Dollar ‎USD 285.3 288.15
Euro EUR 311 314
UK Pound Sterling GBP 358.5 361.5
U.A.E Dirham AED 78 78.7
Saudi Riyal SAR 76.2 77
Australian Dollar AUD 187.2 189
Bahrain Dinar BHD 759.67 767.67
Canadian Dollar CAD 209 211
China Yuan CNY 39.59 39.98
Danish Krone DKK 41.38 41.78
Hong Kong Dollar HKD 36.63 36.98
Indian Rupee INR 3.39 3.5
Japanese Yen JPY 1.49 1.56
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 926.7 935.7
Malaysian Ringgit MYR 60.38 60.98
New Zealand Dollar NZD 173.44 175.44
Norwegians Krone NOK 26.25 26.55
Omani Riyal OMR 741.26 749.26
Qatari Riyal ‎QAR 77.63 78.33
Singapore Dollar SGD 211 213
Swedish Korona SEK 26.93 27.23
Swiss Franc CHF 325.9 328.4
Thai Bhat THB 8.23 8.38

Gold rates drop in Pakistan; Check today’s gold rates 1 December 2023

KARACHI – The gold price continues to climb up in the local market in line of upward trend in international market.

Gold Rates in Pakistan Today - 1 December 2023

On Thursday, the single tola of 24 Karat gold was available at Rs217,400, and the price for 10-gram gold reached Rs186,390.

Meanwhile, the 22 Karat Gold price stands at Rs199,282, 21 karat rate for each tola is Rs190,225 and 18k gold rate hovers around Rs163,050.

In international market, the price of precious metal hovers around $2,045 per ounce.

Today Gold Rate in Pakistan

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Karachi PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Islamabad PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Peshawar PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Quetta PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Sialkot PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Attock PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Gujranwala PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Jehlum PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Multan PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Bahawalpur PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Gujrat PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Nawabshah PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Chakwal PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Hyderabad PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Nowshehra PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Sargodha PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Faisalabad PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696
Mirpur PKR 217,400 PKR 2,696

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