Hardeep Singh Puri takes charge of civil aviation amid distress

June 1, 2019: Hardeep Singh Puri has taken charge as the new civil aviation minister. He has been given the rank of minister of state (independent charge). He will also be a junior minister in Piyush Goyal's commerce and industry ministry. Puri held the housing and urban affairs portfolio in prime minister Narendra Modi's government first government and has retained it this time as well.

Puri takes charge of his office amid distress in the aviation sector. The ministry was previously held by Suresh Prabhu.

He joins at a time when private airline Jet Airways has shut operations due to a severe cash crunch, while national carrier Air India is facing challenges related to divestment.

Puri lost the Lok Sabha polls from the Amritsar seat and is currently a Rajya Sabha lawmaker.