Indian Minister George Kurian Resigns from Minority Affairs Portfolio

Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, George Kurian, submitted his resignation on 23 June 2026 after his Rajya Sabha term ended on 21 June. President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation, ending his tenure in the Modi government.

Kurian, a senior BJP leader from Kerala and the only Christian minister in the cabinet, had been appointed to the ministry in August 2024. Political commentators linked his departure to the BJP’s poor performance in the recent Kerala assembly elections, which reportedly led the party to forgo re‑nominating him to the upper house.

His portfolio will be taken over by junior minister Tarun Chugh, who also handles the fisheries, animal husbandry and dairy production ministries.