Sports Minister Gill promoted to Cabinet rank

Rajya Sabha Member Dr MS Gill and Minister of State (independent charge) for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in the outgoing Parliament, has retained his portfolio in the current dispensation but has been upgraded to Cabinet rank. Gill was among 14 ministers of Cabinet rank who were sworn in at New Delhi today to the new Union Council of Ministers. Gill was appointed Sports Minister on April 6, 2008, replacing Mani Shankar Aiyar. Gill`s biggest achievement since taking over from a sulking Aiyar last April is that he brought the focus back to the Commonwealth Games. It was under his watch that Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan for sports infrastructure in villages was launched, for which Rs 1.43 billion in funds was released. He has also been credited with increasing the pension for Olympic medalists from Rs 5,000 a month to Rs 10,000. Two major criticisms that have been levelled against the former chief election commissioner and Padma Vibhushan in this period however, are that he has not formulated a new sports policy and unlike Aiyar, he has soft-pedalled the issue of accountability of the Suresh Kalmadi-helmed Indian Olympic Association and the various moribund sports federations.