In the latest Cabinet reshuffle, Jyotiraditya Scindia was allocated the civil aviation portfolio. Interestingly, his father, Madhavrao Scindia, had served as the civil aviation minister in the PV Narasimha Rao government.
Jyotiraditya Scindia has taken over as the civil aviation ministry at a troubled time for the sector. (Photo: PTI)
By late evening, Jyotiraditya Scindia was allocated his portfolio: civil aviation. His father, Madhavrao Scindia, had served as the civil aviation minister in the PV Narasimha Rao government.
Madhavrao Scindia held the civil aviation and tourism portfolios in the Rao government from 1991 to 1993.
Those were defining years for India’s politics and economy as the country embraced liberalisation. The Covid-19 pandemic has made Jyotiraditya's taking up of the civil aviation ministry’s charge equally momentous.
Both leaders had already served as Union ministers before assuming the charge of the civil aviation ministry. Madhavrao had served as the railways minister in the Rajiv Gandhi government. Jyotiraditya had served as minister of communication and IT in the Manmohan Singh government. He was credited with reviving the postal system.
There is another similarity between Madhavrao and Jyotiraditya - both viewed as sophisticated, suave and articulate by their peers. And, while Madhavrao had worked as a Jan Sangh (precursor of the BJP) leader before joining the Congress after the Emergency crackdown by the Indira Gandhi regime, Jyotiraditya joined the BJP after having fallen out with the Gandhis of the Congress.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, however, would like the commonality with his father to end here in their political careers. For, Madhavrao Scindia had a tough time as the civil aviation minister.
His hopes of repeating the success of his stint as the railways minister -- including the introduction of the Shatabdi Express trains -- dashed in the face of a relentless agitation by the Indian Airlines staff.
Ultimately, Madhavrao Scindia resigned as civil aviation minister following a plane crash in which nobody died. It could possibly be a unique example of resignation as a Union minister.
Jyotiraditya Scindia has taken over as the civil aviation ministry at a troubled time for the sector. Its monthly report published (the last available) in May this year showed a fall of over 13 per cent in the passenger traffic this year from January to April compared to the same period last year.
To turn around the civil aviation sector, a task that Madhavrao Scindia could not finish, would be a tougher challenge for Jyotiraditya Scindia. It could be a real test for Jyotiraditya Scindia as he steps in the shoes of his father.
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