A cabinet reshuffle or shuffle is when the head of the government rotates the roles of ministers or changes the minister in their cabinet. It is a common practice in a parliamentary system. These cabinet reshuffles may take place for a variety of reasons, often due to a minister’s retirement, resignation, or death.
The head of government may also consider shuffling in case of poor polling numbers, to eradicate members of the cabinet who fail to perform satisfactorily and to reward supporters. A government can also reshuffle its cabinet post elections, even if they retain power, especially if the head of the government, in a parliamentary system the Prime Minister, sees the public opinion shifting against it.
Another scenario when cabinet reshuffle may take place is the change of head of government with the same party forming the government.
Reshuffle acts as an opportunity for the government to create, remove or rename ministries or ministerial posts.
Recently, PM Modi reshuffled his cabinet, adding new ministers and shifting ministries of some others. This isn’t the first time he has done this. In 2017, PM Modi shuffled the existing cabinet, making it more efficient.
In 2012, UPA-II had a cabinet reshuffle, where they added 22 ministers. It was a prominent change, that helped the government stand out.
Another incidence of cabinet reshuffling took place in 2002, in the third Vajpayee government. The most highlighted event was the swap of portfolios between Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha. This move shook the entire cabinet for the better.
Reshuffling of cabinets is an ordinary affair in a parliamentary democracy. It is, in fact, a necessary measure to make the government more efficient and in-tune with people.
