From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Home Minister, or more properly the Minister for Home Affairs, is a position in the Indian Cabinet, at both State and Union levels. The Home Ministry is one of the most important, powerful and high profile ministry after the Prime Minister. The minister is in charge of the Internal administration of the country, with responsibility for

• all matters relating to Centre-State and Inter-State relations
• all matters related to internal security
• maintenance of law and order within the country
• matters like Citizenship and Naturalisation Census of Population, National Anthem, National Flag, Official Languages
• basic functions under the Constitution like notification of assumption of office by the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and other Ministers; notification of appointment, resignation and removal of Governors of States and Lieut. Governors and Administrators in Union Territories

Composition

Ministry of Home Affairs Comprises: [1]

1. Department of Border Management - deals with - Management of Borders including Coastal Borders.
2. Department of Internal Security - deals with - Police, Law and Order and Rehabilitation of Refugees.
3. Department of States - deals with - Centre-State Relations, Inter-State Relations, Union Territories and Freedom Fighters’ Pension.
4. Department of Official Languages - dealing with - implementation of the Constitutional and legal provisions relating to Official Languages.
5. Department of Home - deals with - notifications relating to assumption of office of President/Vice-President, appointment of Prime Minister /Ministers, etc.
6. Department of Jammu & Kashmir Affairs - created w.e.f. November 1, 1994 - deals with - Constitutional provisions and other matters relating to the State of Jammu & Kashmir.

Home Ministers - Past and Current

In the past this position has been occupied by prominent statesman and politicians such as Sardar Patel, Rajaji, Kailash Nath Katju, Govind Ballabh Pant, Lal Bahadur Sastri, Gulzari Lal Nanda, Morarji Desai,Yashwantrao Chavan, Shankarrao Chavan, Giani Zail Singh, P. V. Narasimha Rao, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Buta Singh, Indrajit Gupta, Lal Krishna Advani, Shivraj Patil and P.Chidambaram.

Shivraj Patil resigned from the post of Minister Of Home Affairs on 30 Nov 2008 claiming a moral responsibility for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.He was succeeded by the incumbent P. Chidambaram who is the current home minister in the Government of India.

External links

Home Ministry, Govt. of India