Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has retained direct control over the state's most powerful departments — including Home Affairs, Public Administration, and Police — as the newly sworn-in government formally completed its cabinet portfolio allocation on 16 May 2025. The distribution, approved by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on the Chief Minister's recommendations, comes less than a week after Vijay and his Council of Ministers assumed office on 10 May.

What Vijay Holds Directly

As Chief Minister, Vijay will personally oversee a wide sweep of departments spanning governance, law enforcement, and social welfare. His portfolio includes Public Administration, Police, Home Affairs, Special Programme Implementation, Women Welfare, Youth Welfare, Children's Welfare, welfare of senior citizens and differently abled persons, and Municipal Administration and Urban Water Supply. The concentration of core administrative and law-and-order departments under the Chief Minister signals a deliberate emphasis on centralised oversight in the government's early phase.

Key Portfolio Assignments

K.A. Sengottaiyan, a senior leader in the cabinet, has taken charge of Finance, including pensions and pension allowances — one of the most consequential portfolios given Tamil Nadu's fiscal position. N. Anand has been entrusted with Rural Development and Water Resources, covering irrigation projects and poverty alleviation programmes.

Aadhav Arjuna will head Public Works and Sports Development, while Dr K.G. Arunraj has been assigned Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare. P. Venkataramanan takes charge of Food and Civil Supplies, and R. Nirmalkumar will handle Energy Resources and Law — a combined brief covering electricity, courts, prisons, and legislative affairs.

Rajmohan has been assigned School Education, Tamil Development, and Information and Publicity, while Dr T.K. Prabhu will oversee Natural Resources and mining-related sectors.

Youngest Cabinet Member Gets Industries

Notably, Selvi S. Keerthana, the youngest member of the cabinet, has been entrusted with the Industries and Investment Promotion portfolios — a signal of the government's intent to project a forward-looking image on economic development. The assignment places one of Tamil Nadu's most investor-facing briefs in new hands.

What Comes Next

With portfolio distribution now finalised, the Vijay government is expected to shift focus towards policy implementation, administrative restructuring, and preparations for its first full-fledged Assembly session. The speed of the allocation — completed within days of the swearing-in — suggests the administration is moving quickly to establish its governance footprint. How the new ministers translate their briefs into early policy signals will be closely watched by both industry and the opposition.