Prime Minister Narendra Modi could replace Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj during the Winter Session in the coming weeks.
Swaraj has not been keeping well and was admitted to a hospital last month for kidney failure. Reports state that considering her health, Modi is looking for a possible candidate to succeed Swaraj from the BJP ministers.
There could be a few changes made in the portfolios and the appointment of the new MEA could occur at the end of the Winter Session of Parliament.
In the coming weeks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will appoint a full-time foreign minister to replace an ailing Sushma Swaraj. It is reported that Swaraj, who is waiting for a kidney transplant, could remain out of duty for many months to come after her surgery.
Reports state that Swaraj's medical condition would bar her from returning to a normal working schedule and she will stay at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi until she is fit enough to get a transplant. She is also likely to stay away from the office for months after her surgery to recover properly.
An active MEA is urgently needed in the Cabinet, at a time like this when the world is witnessing upheavals, to respond to the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict and initiate conversation with the new US President-elect Donald Trump and his administration, which will come to power in January 2017.
There are also reports that, considering the situation, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar might get an extension of his term. He is scheduled to officially complete his term as foreign secretary in January 2017.
Swaraj has been quite a popular and internet-savvy MEA India has seen in a long time. She is known for responding to public's grievances on the social networking site Twitter and helping them accordingly.
