Suresh Prabhu takes additional charge as new civil aviation minister

This comes after the resignation of incumbent Ashok Gajapati Raju of the Telugu Desam Party after the latter parted ways with the NDA government

Commerce and Industry minister Suresh Prabhu on Monday took over the additional charge of the Civil Aviation Ministry.

Earlier, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of India Ram Nath Kovind directed Prabhu to take up the additional charge.

This comes after the resignation of incumbent Ashok Gajapati Raju of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) after the latter parted ways with the NDA government.

Suresh Prabhu was made the Commerce and Industry Minister on 3 September 2017, replacing the current Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

He had earlier been the Minister for Power in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government from September 2000 to August 2002.