Dr Virendra Kumar takes charge as Social Justice and Empowerment minister

Veteran parliamentarian Dr Virendra Kumar took charge as the country's new Social Justice and Empowerment minister on Thursday.

Ministers of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Pratima Bhoumik and A Narayanaswamy also took charge.

Kumar has in the past served as Union Minister of State (MoS) for the Women and Child Development and the Minority Affairs.

Upon taking charge, Kumar said he will work towards fulfilling the prime minister's vision of ‘New India’.

''I will work with full dedication, loyalty, hard work, commitment and discipline, I will contribute my contribution in fulfilling Prime Minister's resolve to build a New India,'' he said.

Kumar, 67, a Lok Sabha MP for Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh, is serving his seventh term as an MP -- making him one of the senior-most parliamentarians.

He is among the 36 new inductees who were sworn in the new council of ministers on Wednesday.