In Pics: How VK Singh, Rijiju, Rathore and other junior ministers performed in 1st year of Modi Govt

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government is celebrating its first anniversary since it came to power, on May 26, 2014, it is time to turn back and have a look at the performance of its ministers and their respective ministries.

Narendra Modi, took oath as India's 15th prime minister on May 26, 2014, along with his council of ministers promising a new chapter in country's history. The NDA government rose to power with a landslide victory, with a promise of 'acche din', during 2014 Lok Sabha elections after a decade of UPA rule.

PM Modi constituted a compact cabinet, with astute leaders, having a perfect blend of seasoned and young politicians.

As 12 months of Modi government have been completed let us take a brief look at how the junior ministers in the Modi government performed in the past 1 year.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

Profile: MoS for Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry

Performance: The shooter-turned-politician became a first time MP during last year's Lok Sabha election from Jaipur (Rural) seat.

The former Army Colonel joined the BJP in 2013 and was assigned the important portfolio of MoS for Information & Broadcasting during Modi Cabinet's first expansion on Nov 9, 2014.

Ever since he took oath as the I&B Minister, the former Olympian has been performing his duties with full dedication.

In April 2015, I&B ministrer Rajyavardhan Rathore said that so far his ministry has permitted 832 TV channels to operate in the country, out of which 406 channels are under news and current affairs category. The remaining 426 channels are under non news category.

In Mar 2015, He said that the proposal from Home Ministry for amending existing laws in order to prohibit live media coverage of counter-terrorism operations by security forces was under its consideration.

"The ministry has received a proposal from (Home Ministry) regarding bringing amendments in the extant laws to prohibit live media coverage of counter-terrorism operations by security forces. The proposal is under the consideration of the ministry," Rathore, said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

In Jan 2015, he refuted charges of interference in Censor Board's functioning levelled by its chairperson Leela Samson, who resigned from the post alleging interference, even as it asserted that it has always maintained a distance from the certification process.

"This latest issue of the Chairperson resigning has come to light. I would like to bring to the notice of everyone that the entire Censor Board and all its members were placed by the previous government.

None of them have been changed. No additional member has been put in. The extension that the Chairperson has been talking of has been granted to the entire Censor board," Rathore told.

Rating: 8/10

Jayant Sinha

Profile: MoS Finance

Performance: Jayant Sinha, 51, was elected to the Lok Sabha this year from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand. An IIT-Harward alumni Sinha spent as a consultant with several top corporate houses in the US. He too became a part of Modi Cabinet during its first expansion. He helped Finance Minister Arun Jaitley present his maiden budget.

In May 2015, union Minister of state for Finance Jayant Sinha said, India would leave China behind in terms of growth and development in the coming days.

"In the coming days, India will leave China behind as far as growth and development matter," Sinha told the media in Patna.

In Mar 2015, he said that the government is contemplating a host of measures to push stalled projects and deal with the problem of rising non-performing assets (NPAs) of banking sector.

The GST roll out will prove to be a revolutionary step and has potential to transform the "fiscal architecture" of the government, Sinha further said.

"In some ways it is as revolutionary and as profound as what happened in 1991 because it is changing fundamentally the manner in which the Indian government functions," Sinha further said.

In Feb 2015, in a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Sinha said, "Sebi has advised stock exchanges to keep constant and strict vigil" on companies which are involved in misuse of the stock exchange mechanism for tax evasion and take immediate action.

In Nov 2014, expressing confidence that India will cross 6 per cent GDP growth in 2015-16, the new Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said the priority of the government will be job creation and inflation management.

"We are expecting the growth to pick up and be on the accelerating trajectory. Hopefully we will cross 6-6.5 per cent next year," Sinha told reporters soon after taking charge.

Rating: 7/10

Kiren Rijiju

Performance: He is one of the most infleuntial BJP leader from North-east and has been entitled a crucial portfolio Home Ministry. The MP from Arunachal Pradesh is actively involved in his job and comes up with statements from his ministry.

In May 2015, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju blamed the Congress-led UPA government's "misgovernance, mistreatment and neglect" for the rise of insurgency in the north-east, and appealed to the youth to shun violence and come back to the mainstream.

In Apr 2015, Rijiju said A total of 164 ceasefire violations have been reported along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir.

In Mar 2015, Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said, crimes against women have risen since 2013 but efforts are on to curb them.

"Crime against women is on the rise since 2013. Women's safety is on the top of government's agenda. Efforts are on to arrest crime against women," said Rijiju.

In Feb 2015, Rijiju said India is a symbol of peace and there is no need for it to adopt a hawkish foreign policy. "Idea of India is symbol of peace. There is no need to adopt hawkish (foreign) policy. We are naturally a soft power. But soft does not mean weak," he added.

In Dec 2014, He told Lok Sabha said Pakistan is in illegal and forcible occupation of about 78,000 sq kms of Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir since 1948. Rijiju said that under the so-called China-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq kms of Indian territory in Pakistan occupied Kashmir to China.

In Nov 2014, he told Lok Sabha that altogether 90 people were killed and 1,688 others were injured in 561 incidents of communal violence in the country in 2014, a decline of 19 per cent as compared to the corresponding period of 2013.

In Sept 2014, Rijiju has said that the Indian government has earmarked 10 per cent of funds in all Centre-sponsored development programmes for disaster mitigation, which amounts to about $5.5 billion for the then fiscal.

In Aug 2014, Rijiju informed in Rajya Sabha that the Chinese Army has transgressed the Sino-Indian border 334 times this year and a total of 1,278 times between 2010-13. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said the People's Liberation Army transgressed the border 334 times till August 4, 2014, 411 times in 2013, 426 times in 2012, 213 times in 2011 and on 228 occasions in 2010.

In July 2014, Rijiju told Rajya Sabha that since 2009, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been assigned with 86 terror cases for investigation out of which 11 cases have been partially or fully decided and 28 accused have been convicted and 13 were acquitted.

Rating: 8/10

VK Singh

Profile: MoS External Affairs Ministry

Performance: The former Army chief and Ghaziabad MP VK Singh emerged as one of the most talked about junior minister of the Narendra Modi cabinet. 64-year-old Singh defeated Raj Babbar of Congress from Ghaziabad seat by 5.67 lakh votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

He was earlier made MoS External Affairs Ministry where he performed exceptionally well and brought laurels to his Government.

In Apr 2015, Singh personally monitored operation Raahat in Yemen, in which Indian Navy successfully evacuated more than 6,000 Indians and foreign nationals from more than 30 countries.

In March 2015, Singh clarified over his comment over attending Pak National Day celebration and said, "Given that a controversy has erupted around this issue, I feel that it is important for me to clarify that my tweets were directed only towards those sections of the media that have questioned the intent of my government and also its stance on countering Pakistan-sponsored terror.

I feel that it is also important for me to clarify that I am fully committed to my party and government, especially my PM."

In Sept 2014, Gen (Retd) Singh reaffirmed the Modi Govt's commitment to stamping out global terrorism and said it will support any initiative aimed at eliminating the menace.

"India provides support in all fora for anything which is termed as anti-terrorist activity. It (always) supports the cause of anti-terrorism," Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (Retd) VK Singh told.

In June 2014, Singh said A 24X7 public grievance helpline will be set up for the residents of Ghaziabad within a week's time.

Rating: 9/10

Dr Mahesh Sharma

Profile: Ministers of State (Independent Charge)for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation

Performance: 55-year-old Mahesh Sharma who snatched the Gautam Budh Nagar Lok Sabha seat from the Samajwadi Party, is also a member of Parliament's Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare.

In Apr 2015, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said, Modi government plans to put in place the much-awaited civil aviation policy by the middle of May.

In Mar 2015, the union Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma told the Lok Sabha, the Modi government is committed to bring back Indian antiquities which have been illegally exported. These include a torso of Lord Vishnu located in the US, Khajuraho parrot lady from Edmonton in Canada's Alberta and a Chola-era bronze statue from Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore.

In Dec 2015, Sharma said the number of foreign tourists visited India between May and October 2014, a rise of 10 per cent as compared to the same period during 2013.

Rating: 7/10