Union Minister G Kishan Reddy today took charge as Union Culture Minister at the Shastri Bhavan in New Delhi.
Reddy has also been appointed to the post of Union Minister of Development for the North-Eastern Region. Before this, he was the Minister of State for Home Affairs.
Speaking to the media, the leader expressed his gratitude to the BJP high command for elevating him to the position of union minister, and said that he would work towards achieving the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with "full commitment".
Shripad Yesso Naik and Ajay Bhatt, the Ministers of State for Tourism, were also present on the occasion.
Reddy, who had joined the BJP in 1980, has had a long and fruitful association with the party so far. Before being elected as an MP to 17th Lok Sabha in 2019, from the Secunderabad constituency, the leader had been a three-time MLA and BJP floor leader in the state assemblies of Telangana and undivided Andhra Pradesh, and had served as the party chief in both states as well.
Apart from this, he has led several unique initiatives including one for paediatric heart patients, which won him the UNICEF's Most Child-Friendly Legislator Award during his time as a legislator in the AP Assembly. He had also started a campaign against terrorism and organised an International Youth Conference against Terrorism in New Delhi which drew 193 delegates from over 54 countries.
Further, the leader has received various awards and recognitions, including the Maryland India Business Round Table's Outstanding Youth Leadership Award in 2009 and a medal from the Union of Bulgarian Commandos for his contribution towards Global Peace at Sophia, Bulgaria.