Nityanand Rai may handle J&K, Ladakh & counter radicalisation

Union home minister Amit Shah is set to reassign key divisions to his ministers of state (MoS) including reallocating responsibilities to the most senior among them, Nityanand Rai. The two new MoS, Ajay Kumar Misra and Nisith Parmanik, took charge on Thursday but they have not been assigned any responsibilities so far.

Rai, who joined as MoS in 2019 with G Kishan Reddy, is likely to be relieved of his previous charges including central armed police forces (CAPFs), freedom fighters and refugees, and Centre-state. He along with Misra may be made in-charge for Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and counter radicalisation, said people aware of the matter.

Earlier, Reddy was handling this portfolio along with Northeast, Union Territories, left-wing extremism (LWE), internal security and women’s safety. He was elevated to cabinet minister for the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Development of North-East Region.Shah is likely to retain charge of issues concerning cabinet decisions, matters related to the President's secretariat including mercy petition and reporting of Intelligence Bureau. Officials said the newly inducted MoS may get border management, Northeast, cybersecurity, women’s safety, police modernisation, LWE, Police-I (which looks after transfer postings of IPS officers) and foreigners divisions, which handle matters related to grant of visa and licences under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act to non-governmental organisations. Parmanik is likely to be made in-charge of cyber and information security division, international cooperation and coastal security, said those in the know. He is also responsible for youth and sports affairs and thus likely to have fewest portfolios among the three MoS. Misra, the BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh, may get responsibility for CAPFs, Centre-state and women’s safety. The women’s safety division was set up in 2018 to focus on safety of vulnerable sections including children and elderly.


There are 21 divisions within the home ministry, besides several paramilitary forces including CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB, NSG and Assam Rifles. They are responsible for guarding borders with the Indian Army as well as maintaining law and order in the hinterland. The ministry’s internal security division constantly monitors the law and order situation, issues advisories, shares intelligence inputs, and provides manpower and expertise to the state governments.