# Palaniswami ministry

The First Ministry of Palaniswami was the Council of Ministers, headed by Edappadi K. Palaniswami, that was formed after the fifteenth legislative assembly election, which was held on 16th of May 2016. The results of the election were announced on 19 May 2016, and this led to the formation of the 15th Assembly. On 16 February 2017, the Council took office.

## Constitutional requirement
### For the Council of Ministers to aid and advise Governor

According to Article 163 of the Indian Constitution,
   # There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his function, except in so far as he is by or under this Constitution required to exercise his functions or any of them in his discretion.
   * If any question arises whether any matter is or is not a matter as respects which the Governor is by or under this Constitution required to act in his discretion, the decision of the Governor in his discretion shall be final, and the validity of anything done by the Governor shall not be called in question on the ground that he ought or ought not to have acted in his discretion.
   * The question whether any, and if so what, advice was tendered by Ministers to the Governor shall not be inquired into in any court.
This means that the Ministers serve under the pleasure of the Governor and he/she may remove them, on the advice of the Chief Minister, whenever they want.
The Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister, and the Minister shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor: Provided that in the States of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, there shall be a Minister in charge of tribal welfare who may in addition be in charge of the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and backward classes or any other work.
   # The Council of Minister shall be collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the State.
   * Before a Minister enters upon his office, the Governor shall administer to him the oaths of office and of secrecy according to the forms set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule.
   * A Minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the Legislature of the State shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a Minister.
   * The salaries and allowances of Ministers shall be such as the Legislature of the State may from time to time by law determine and, until the Legislature of the State so determines, shall be a specified in the Second Schedule.

## Council of Ministers

| S.No | Name | Consitituency | Designation | Departments | Party |
| 1. | K. Palaniswami | Edappadi | Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu | Public Home. Police Indian Administrative Service Indian Police Service Indian Forest Service General Administration. District Revenue Officers. Irrigation (including Minor Irrigation). Programme Works. Public Works. Highways and Minor Ports. Departments not allocated to any other Minister | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 2. | O. Panneerselvam | Bodinayakkanur | Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu | Finance. Planning. Legislative Assembly Elections. Passports. Housing Rural Housing and Housing Development. Slum Clearance Board and Accommodation Control. Town Planning. Urban Development. Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 3. | C. Sreenivaasan | Dindigul | Minister for Forests | Forests. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 4. | K. A. Sengottaiyan | Gobichettipalayam | Minister for School Education and Youth Welfare & Sports | School Education. Youth Welfare and Sports. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 5. | K. Raju | Madurai West | Minister for Co-operation | Co-operation. Statistics. Ex-Servicemen Welfare. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 6. | P. Thangamani | Kumarapalayam | Minister for Electricity and Prohibition & Excise | Electricity. Prohibition and Excise. Non-Conventional Energy. Molasses | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 7. | S. P. Velumani | Thondamuthur | Minister for Local Administration and Rural Development | Municipal Administration. Rural Development. Panchayats and Panchayat Unions. Poverty Alleviation Programmes. Rural Indebtedness. Urban and Rural Water Supply. Implementation of Special Programme. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 8. | D. Jayakumar | Royapuram | Minister for Fisheries | Fisheries. Personnel. Administrative Reforms. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 9. | C. Ve. Shanmugam | Villupuram | Minister for Law | Law. Courts and Prisons. Mines and Minerals. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 10. | K. P. Anbalagan | Palacode | Minister for Higher Education and Agriculture | Higher Education. Technical Education. Electronics. Science and Technology. Agriculture. Agricultural Engineering. Agro Service Co-operatives. Horticulture. Sugarcane Cess. Sugarcane Development and Waste Land Development. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 11. | V. Saroja | Rasipuram | Minister for Social Welfare | Social Welfare. Women's and Children's Welfare. Orphanages and Correctional Administration. Integrated Child Development. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 12. | M. C. Sampath | Cuddalore | Minister for Industries | Industries. Steel Control. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 13. | K. C. Karuppannan | Bhavani | Minister for Environment | Environment and Pollution Control. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 14. | R. Kamaraj | Nannilam | Minister for Food & Civil Supplies | Food. Civil Supplies. Consumer Protection. Price Control. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 15. | O. S. Manian | Vedaranyam | Minister for Handlooms & Textiles | Handlooms and Textiles. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 16. | K. Radhakrishnan | Udumalaipettai | Minister for Animal Husbandry | Animal Husbandry. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 17. | C. Vijayabaskar | Viralimalai | Minister for Health & Family Welfare | Health. Medical Education. Family Welfare. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 18. | C. Raju | Kovilpatti | Minister for Information & Publicity | Information and Publicity. Film Technology and Cinematograph Act. Stationery and Printing Government Press. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 19. | R. B. Udhaya Kumar | Tirumangalam | Minister for Revenue and Information Technology | Revenue. District Revenue Establishment. Deputy Collectors. Weights and Measures. Debt Relief including Legislation on Money lending. Chits. Registration of Companies and Disaster Management. Information Technology. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 20. | N. Natarajan | Tiruchirappalli East | Minister for Tourism | Tourism. Tourism Development Corporation. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 21. | K.C. Veeramani | Jolarpet | Minister for Commercial Taxes & Registration | Commercial Taxes. Registration and Stamp Act. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 22. | K. T. Rajenthra Bhalaji | Sivakasi | Minister for Milk & Dairy Development | Milk and Dairy Development. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 23. | P. Benjamin | Maduravoyal | Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises | Rural Industries. Small Industries. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 24. | M. R. Vijayabhaskar | Karur | Minister for Transport | Transport. Nationalised Transport and Motor Vehicles Act. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 25. | Nilofer Kafeel | Vaniyambadi | Minister for Labour & Employment | Labour. Population. Employment and Training. Newsprint Control. Census. Urban and Rural Employment Wakf Board. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 26. | V. M. Rajalakshmi | Sankarankoil | Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare | Adi Dravidar Welfare. Hill Tribes and Bonded Labour. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 27. | K. Pandiarajan | Avadi | Minister for Tamil Development and Archaeology | Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture. Archaeology. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 28. | G. Baskaran | Sivaganga | Minister for Village Industries | Khadi and Village Industries Board. Bhoodan and Gramadhan. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 29. | S. Ramachandran | Arani | Minister for Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments | Hindu Religious. Charitable Endowments. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 30. | S. Valarmathi | Srirangam | Minister for Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare | Backward Classes. Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities. Overseas Indians. Refugees and Evacuees and Minorities Welfare. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |

## Cabinet Reshuffles

21 August 2017
| S.No | Name of the Minister | Existing Designation | Proposed Designation | Proposed allocation of portfolios |
| 1. | O. Panneerselvam | | Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu | Finance. Planning. Legislative Assembly Elections. Passports. Housing Rural Housing and Housing Development. Slum Clearance Board and Accommodation Control. Town Planning. Urban Development. Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. |
| 2. | K. Pandiarajan | | Minister for Tamil Development and Archaeology | Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture. Archaeology. |
| 3. | K. A. Sengottaiyan | Minister for School Education and Youth Welfare & Sports | Minister for School Education | School Education. |
| 4. | D. Jayakumar | Minister for Finance and Fisheries | Minister for Fisheries | Fisheries. Personnel. Administrative Reforms. |
| 5. | C. Ve. Shanmugam | Minister for Law | Minister for Law | Law. Courts and Prisons. Mines and Minerals. |
| 6. | M. C. Sampath | Minister for Industries | Minister for Industries | Industries Steel Control |
| 7. | K. Radhakrishnan | Minister for Housing and Urban Development | Minister for Animal Husbandry | Animal Husbandry |
| 8. | S. Ramachandran | Minister for Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments and Tamil Development | Minister for Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments | Hindu Religious Charitable Endowments |
| 9. | P. Balakrishna Reddy | Minister for Animal Husbandry | Minister for Youth Welfare & Sports | Youth Welfare and Sports. |
26 March 2019
| S.No | Name of the Minister | Existing Designation | Proposed Designation | Proposed allocation of portfolios |
| 1. | P. Balakrishna Reddy | Minister for Youth Welfare & Sports | | |
| 2. | K. A. Sengottaiyan | Minister for School Education | Minister for School Education and Youth Welfare & Sports | School Education. Youth Welfare and Sports. |
7 August 2019
| S.No | Name of the Minister | Existing Designation | Proposed Designation | Proposed allocation of portfolios |
| 1. | M. Manikandan | Minister for Information Technology | | |
| 2. | R. B. Udhaya Kumar | Minister for Revenue | Minister for Revenue and Information Technology | Revenue. District Revenue Establishment. Deputy Collectors. Weights and Measures. Debt Relief including Legislation on Money lending. Chits. Registration of Companies and Disaster Management. Information Technology. |
31 October 2020
| S.No | Name of the Minister. | Existing Designation | Proposed Designation | Proposed allocation of portfolios |
| 1. | R. Doraikannu | Minister for Agriculture | | |
| 2. | K. P. Anbalagan | Minister for Higher Education | Minister for Higher Education and Agriculture | Higher Education. Technical Education. Electronics. Science and Technology. Agriculture. Agricultural Engineering. Agro Service Co-operatives. Horticulture. Sugarcane Cess. Sugarcane Development and Waste Land Development. |

## Demographics of the Council of Ministers

Cabinet by District
| S.No | District | Ministers | Name of Ministers |
| 1. | Ariyalur | - | - |
| 2. | Chengalpattu | - | - |
| 3. | Chennai | 2 | P. Benjamin D. Jayakumar |
| 4. | Coimbatore | 1 | S. P. Velumani |
| 5. | Cuddalore | 1 | M. C. Sampath |
| 6. | Dharmapuri | 1 | K. P. Anbalagan |
| 7. | Dindigul | 1 | C. Sreenivaasan |
| 8. | Erode | 2 | K. A. Sengottaiyan K. C. Karuppannan |
| 9. | Kallakurichi | - | - |
| 10. | Kanchipuram | - | - |
| 11. | Kanniyakumari | - | - |
| 12. | Karur | 1 | M. R. Vijayabhaskar |
| 13. | Krishnagiri | - | - |
| 14. | Madurai | 2 | K. Raju R. B. Udhayakumar |
| 15. | Mayiladuthurai | - | - |
| 16. | Nagapattinam | 1 | O. S. Manian |
| 17. | Namakkal | 2 | P. Thangamani V. Saroja |
| 18. | Nilgiris | - | - |
| 19. | Perambalur | - | - |
| 20. | Pudukkottai | 1 | C. Vijayabaskar |
| 21. | Ramanathapuram | - | - |
| 22. | Ranipet | - | - |
| 23. | Salem | 1 | K. Palaniswami |
| 24. | Sivagangai | 1 | G. Baskaran |
| 25. | Tenkasi | 1 | V. M. Rajalakshmi |
| 26. | Thanjavur | - | - |
| 27. | Theni | 1 | O. Panneerselvam |
| 28. | Thoothukudi | 1 | C. Raju |
| 29. | Tiruchirappalli | 2 | N. Natarajan S. Valarmathi |
| 30. | Tirunelveli | - | - |
| 31. | Tirupathur | 2 | K. C. Veeramani Nilofer Kafeel |
| 32. | Tiruppur | 1 | K. Radhakrishnan |
| 33. | Tiruvallur | 1 | K. Pandiarajan |
| 34. | Tiruvannamalai | 1 | S. Ramachandran |
| 35. | Tiruvarur | 1 | R. Kamaraj |
| 36. | Vellore | - | - |
| 37. | Viluppuram | 1 | C. Ve. Shanmugam |
| 38. | Virudhunagar | 1 | K. T. Rajenthra Bhalaji |

## Achievements

The Government introduced various schemes like Kudimaramaththu Work similar to Telangana's Mission Kakatiya, FAME India scheme and Amma Patrol in Tamil Nadu to ascertain the security of women and children in public places.
On 15 August 2018, Palaniswami Government announced a 2% sub-quota in select government jobs and State Public Sector Undertakings for national, state, and international-level medal-winning sportspersons in games organized by recognized federations, later increasing it to 3% on 16 October 2018.
In 2019, The Chief Minister went on a 13-day tour in the United States, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates to promote foreign investment in Tamil Nadu. While there he launched the Yaadhum Oore programme (lit. all countries, based on Puranauru 192) to encourage the Tamil diaspora to re-invest in Tamil Nadu. During trip he secured 3 lakh crores worth of foreign investment, a greater amount than even his predecessor Jayalalithaa did.
In February 2020, Palaniswami led Tamil Nadu government declared the Cauvery delta region as a Protected Special Agriculture Zone. The announcement was widely hailed by political parties and farmers organisations.
In 2020, Palaniswami led AIADMK government passed order for 7.5% Quota in Medical Admissions for Govt. School Students. He took action to set up government medical colleges in newly formed 11 districts which offered 1,650 more seats to then existing 3,400 seats.
Under this governance, Tamil Nadu was rated as the best governed state based on a composite index in the context of sustainable development according to the Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the Public Affairs Centre in Oct. 2020. Palaniswami is also praised for his administration during the coronavirus pandemic. Tamil Nadu was one of the few states that did not register negative growth in the period of pandemic.
During this regime, Tamil Nadu was the best performing big state overall from the year 2018 to 2021. With a gross state domestic product of $290 billion or Rs 21.6 lakh crore, Tamil Nadu became India's second-largest economy.
In 2020, the study “States of the State” of India Today, said that Palaniswami led Tamil Nadu has topped in 11 categories from a total of 12, including economy, tourism, infrastructure, inclusive development, law and order, along with entrepreneurship, cleanliness, environment, health, education and agriculture. Tamil Nadu had been chosen for this recognition for the third consecutive year.