Who was the External affair minister of India in 2019?

NORCET 6 Prelims -2024

General Knowledge

Medium

Appeared in: NORCET 6 Prelims -2024

Explanation

Dr. S. Jaishankar was appointed as the Minister of External Affairs on May 30, 2019.
This appointment followed the 2019 Indian General Election and the formation of the second Modi ministry.
He is a retired diplomat and previously served as the Foreign Secretary of India.
Since he held the position for the majority of the year and was the incumbent following the election, he is the correct answer.

Option A: Sushma Swaraj was the External Affairs Minister, but her term ended on May 30, 2019. She held the position for the first five months of the year.
Option C: Amit Shah was appointed as the Minister of Home Affairs in May 2019, not the External Affairs Minister.
Option D: Nirmala Sitharaman was appointed as the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs in May 2019. Before that, she was the Defence Minister.

Visual 1: Infographic: Chart of the key Union Cabinet Ministers of India (2019) with their portraits and portfolios to help visualize the government structure.
Visual 2: Timeline: A visual timeline showing the tenures of Sushma Swaraj and Dr. S. Jaishankar as External Affairs Minister in 2019.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Knowledge of Indian Cabinet Ministers and their portfolios in a specific year as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
This is a general knowledge question, not a clinical one. The key takeaway is the importance of staying updated with current affairs, particularly changes in the national government, which is a common topic in the general awareness section of nursing and other competitive exams.
Understanding the roles of different ministries, like the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), is crucial. The MEA is responsible for India's foreign relations.
What if the question asked 'Who was the first External Affairs Minister of the Modi government?' The answer would be Sushma Swaraj, who took office in 2014.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question: It asks for a specific government official (External Affairs Minister) in a specific year (2019).
Recall major political events of that year. 2019 was a general election year in India, which led to a cabinet reshuffle in May.
Consider the timeline. Two people held the post in 2019. Sushma Swaraj (until May 30) and Dr. S. Jaishankar (from May 30 onwards).
Evaluate the options based on this timeline. Eliminate options that are clearly incorrect (Amit Shah - Home Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman - Finance Minister).
Between the two remaining options, the standard convention for such questions is to choose the person who took office after the major event (the election) and held it for the rest of the year.
Select Dr. S. Jaishankar as the most appropriate answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Knowledge of Indian Cabinet Ministers and their portfolios in a specific year.
Stem keywords: External affair minister, India, 2019
Lead-in keywords: Who was

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