Minister of State for National Defence (Vishwamitra)

Minister of State for Defence रक्षा राज्यमंत्री
Coat of arms
Incumbent Kevin Doan 1st Baron Doan since 12 May 2022
Ministry of Defence
Style	The Right Honourable (formally)
Member of	Parliament Council of Ministers
Reports to	Prime Minister Minister of Defence
Nominator	Prime Minister
Appointer	The Rashtradhyaksh on the recommendation of the Prime Minister
Term length	At His Illustrious and Royal Majesty's pleasure
Formation	14 May 2018; 4 years, 8 months ago

The Minister of State for Defence (Hindi: रक्षा राज्यमंत्री), commonly shortened as State Minister for Defence is the junior minister in the Defence Ministry who is also a member of the union council of ministers. The minister of state is responsible to carry out specialised duties as directed to them from time to time by the Prime Minister or the cabinet minister within the ministerial jurisdiction. The first Minister of State for Defence was Pranjit Kalita who served as parliamentary secretary to the State Counsellor (Minister of Defence) between 14 May and 12 October 2018. The current minister of state is Kevin Doan who has been in office since 12 May 2022.

The Minister of State for Defence often assists their senior ministerial colleague, the Minister of Defence and also carries out duties and heads various departments within the ministry.

History and records

The position of the Minister of State for Defence was created as that of the Parliamentary Secretary to the State Counsellor in the post-coup cabinet of Tanishkaa Patranabish-Dhrubajyoti Roy in May 2018 following the creation of the Ministry of Defence. The first-ever office-holder was Pranjit Kalita who served under State Counsellors Abhiraj Kar and Bishnu Chetry. In the first post-coup democratic cabinet headed by president Dhrubajyoti Roy, the position was renamed to that of Minister of State for Defence. The position has undergone several nominal changes with the change in the name of the ministry from time to time. The junior minister was also known as the Minister of State for National Defence, Minister of State for National Defence and Strategic Planning, etc.

Twelve individuals have served as the minister of state for defence. Only one minister of state for defence, Rory McPhail subsequently went on to become the Minister of Defence.

Roles and duties

The Minister of State for Defence is responsible for assisting the Minister of Defence in the discharge of their functions and duties over the ministry and the various departments, including:

• Department of Defence Production
• Department of Armed Forces
• Department of Veterans and Ex-service personnels Welfare
• Department of War and Peace
• Department of External Security
• Department of Personnels Welfare
• Royal Armed Forces

List

Ministers of State for Defence

* Denotes those who later went on to become the Cabinet Minister for Defence.

Portrait		Minister (Birth-Death)	Term of office			Political party	Ministry	Prime Minister	Cabinet Minister
			From	To	Period
Parliamentary Secretary to the State Counsellor (14 May – 12 October 2018)
		Pranjit Kalita प्रांजीत कलिता (born 2006)	14 May 2018	12 October 2018	7002151000000000000♠151 days	Congress	Tanishkaa III	Tanishkaa Patranabish		Abhiraj Kar
										Bishnu Chetry
								Dhrubajyoti Roy		Abhiraj Kar
Ministers of State for Defence (12 October 2018 – 6 August 2019)
		Jemina Hazarika जेमिना हज़ारिका (born 2006)	12 October 2018	6 January 2019	7001860000000000000♠86 days	Congress	Dhrubajyoti VII	Dhrubajyoti Roy		Bishnu Chetry
		Sampriti Paul संप्रीति पॉल (born 2004)	6 January 2019	17 March 2019	7001700000000000000♠70 days	Secular Party	Tanishkaa IV	Tanishkaa Patranabish		Abhiraj Kar
		Arpan Deka अर्पण डेका (born 2008)	17 March 2019	3 June 2019	7001780000000000000♠78 days	Congress	Tanishkaa V			Asmi Patranabis
		Abhirup Patranabis अभिरूप पत्रनबिस (born 2012)	3 June 2019	6 August 2019	7001640000000000000♠64 days
										Bishnu Chetry
Ministers of State for National Defence (6 August – 2 September 2019)
		Abhirup Patranabis अभिरूप पत्रनबिस (born 2012)	6 August 2019	2 September 2019	7001270000000000000♠27 days	Congress	Tanishkaa V	Tanishkaa Patranabish		Tanishkaa Patranabish
Ministers of State for National Defence and Strategic Planning (2 September – 24 November 2019)
		Pallavi Rai पल्लवी राय (born 2005)	2 September 2019	29 September 2019	7001270000000000000♠27 days	Congress	Tanishkaa V	Tanishkaa Patranabish		Tanishkaa Patranabish
										Arnab Sil
		Abhirup Patranabis अभिरूप पत्रनबिस (born 2012)	29 September 2019	11 October 2019	7001120000000000000♠12 days
		Pallavi Rai पल्लवी राय (born 2005)	11 October 2019	15 October 2019	7000400000000000000♠4 days
		Arpan Deka अर्पण डेका (born 2008)	15 October 2019	16 November 2019	7001320000000000000♠32 days
		Pallavi Rai पल्लवी राय (born 2005)	16 November 2019	24 November 2019	7000800000000000000♠8 days					Asmi Patranabis
Ministers of State for National Defence (24 November 2019 – 17 June 2020)
Position vacant between 24 November and 26 November 2019.							Tanishkaa V	Tanishkaa Patranabish		Asmi Patranabis
		Pallavi Rai पल्लवी राय (born 2005)	26 November 2019	24 December 2019	7001280000000000000♠28 days	Congress
										Abhiraj Kar
		Rajia Hazarika रजिया हज़ारिका (born 2008)	24 December 2019	3 March 2020	7001700000000000000♠70 days
Position vacant between 3 March and 22 March 2020.							Anoushkaa I	Anoushkaa Patranabish		Arnab Deka
		Pallavi Rai पल्लवी राय (born 2005)	22 March 2020	30 April 2020	7001390000000000000♠39 days	Congress	Tanishkaa VI	Tanishkaa Patranabish
										Arnab Sil
										Ankurjyoti Thakuria
Position vacant between 1 May and 13 May 2020.
		Abhirup Patranabis अभिरूप पत्रनबिस (born 2012)	13 May 2020	8 June 2020	7001260000000000000♠26 days	Congress	Tanishkaa VII	Tanishkaa Patranabish		Abhiraj Kar
		Harlong Terang हार्लोंग तेरांग (born 2005)	8 June 2020	17 June 2020	7000900000000000000♠9 days		Anoushkaa II	Princess Anoushkaa		Arnab Deka
Position abolished (17 June 2020 – 28 January 2021)
Ministers of State for Defence (28 January 2021 – present)
Position vacant between 28 January 2021 and 18 June 2021.							Ștefan I	Ștefan Marius Snagoveanu		David Augustus
							Vacant
							Ștefan II	Ștefan Marius Snagoveanu		Michal Nowacki
		Rory McPhail 1st Count of Griffith रोरी मैकफैल (born 2007) *	18 June 2021	11 September 2021	7001850000000000000♠85 days	Congress
		Ezri Ambriz एज़्री अंब्रीज़ (born 2007)	11 September 2021	21 October 2021	7001400000000000000♠40 days		Farhaz I	Farhaz Hazarika
Position vacant between 21 October and 22 November 2021.							Phillip	Phillip Joseph Pillin		Matthew Griffin
		General Arturo Lara 1st Count of Granville (Retd.) आर्टुरो लारा (born 1998)	21 October 2021	9 February 2022	7002111000000000000♠111 days	Congress	Farhaz II	Farhaz Hazarika		Michal Nowacki
										Rory McPhail
		Kevin Doan केविन डोन (born 2005)	9 February 2022	17 March 2022	7001360000000000000♠36 days
Position vacant between 17 March and 12 May 2022.										Dhrubajyoti Roy (Rashtradhyaksh)
		Kevin Doan 1st Baron Doan केविन डोन (born 2005)	12 May 2022	Incumbent	7002263000000000000♠263 days	Independent	Farhaz III			Rory McPhail
										Matthew Tonna