ASSAM CABINET MINISTERS LIST 2026: FULL COUNCIL OF MINISTERS AND DEPARTMENTS

The Assam Council of Ministers headed by Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma was reconstituted after the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly election, with the full cabinet taking shape in two stages between 12 May 2026 and 5 June 2026. This article gives exam aspirants a single, dated reference point for the current portfolio allocation, replacing the pre-election council that dissolved on 11 May 2026. It is directly relevant for candidates preparing for APSC CCE, ADRE, Assam Police SI, SSC, banking, and railway General Knowledge sections, where questions on state ministries and portfolios appear regularly. Aspirants building a daily revision habit around such updates can track similar state-specific developments through the current affairs for APSC and ADRE section.

ARTICLE THEME

This article presents the complete, department-wise list of Assam Cabinet Ministers as sworn in during May–June 2026, explains how portfolios are allocated in the state, and answers the exam-style questions most frequently asked about the current Council of Ministers.

WHAT IS THE ASSAM COUNCIL OF MINISTERS?

The Assam Council of Ministers is the body of elected legislators who, under Article 163 of the Constitution of India, aid and advise the Governor of Assam in the exercise of executive functions of the state. It is headed by the Chief Minister of Assam and is collectively responsible to the Assam Legislative Assembly.

Each minister is assigned one or more departments, called portfolios, by the Chief Minister, and this allocation is formally approved by the Governor of Assam. The current Council of Ministers was formed after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) — won 102 of 126 seats in the 2026 Assam Assembly election (Source: Election Commission of India results, 2026), with the BJP winning 82 seats, the AGP 10 seats, and the BPF 10 seats. The opposition Indian National Congress (INC) won 19 seats. Readers preparing on the constitutional side of this topic can also review the Indian Constitution Explained article for the provisions governing state councils of ministers.

WHY THIS TOPIC MATTERS

Cabinet composition is one of the most frequently repeated General Knowledge topics across Assam's competitive exams because it changes with every election and reshuffle, and because outdated online lists are common. For APSC, ADRE, and SSC aspirants, an accurate and dated portfolio list prevents the single most common GK mistake in this category — quoting a minister's old department after a reshuffle.

This matters even more in 2026 because the Council of Ministers changed twice in quick succession: a smaller cabinet was sworn in with the Chief Minister on 12 May 2026, followed by a larger expansion on 5 June 2026. Aspirants relying on pre-election or partially updated sources risk carrying forward incorrect names or departments into their exams.

KEY FACTS AND HIGHLIGHTS

• Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma took oath as Chief Minister of Assam for a second consecutive term on 12 May 2026 (Source: Government of Assam, 12 May 2026).
• The Council of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, has 17 members as of the June 2026 expansion (Source: Government of Assam notification, 5 June 2026).
• Of the 16 ministers excluding the Chief Minister, 13 belong to the BJP, 2 to the AGP, and 1 to the BPF (Source: Daily Pioneer, 5 June 2026).
• The Governor of Assam, Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya, formally approved the allocation of departments to all inducted ministers (Source: Raj Bhavan Assam communication, 2026).
• The cabinet was formed in two phases: an initial group of 4 ministers on 12 May 2026, followed by 12 more ministers on 5 June 2026.
• Smt Ajanta Neog and Smt Nilima Devi are the two women ministers in the current Council of Ministers.

DETAILED BREAKDOWN: FULL LIST OF ASSAM CABINET MINISTERS 2026

The list below reflects the department allocation notified after the 5 June 2026 cabinet expansion. Because portfolios can be reshuffled at any time by the Chief Minister with the Governor's approval, readers should treat this as the position as of the last-updated date shown above and verify against the official Chief Minister's Office website before an exam.

• Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma — Chief Minister; Home and Political; Public Works (Buildings and National Highways); Public Works (Roads); Power; Information, Public Relations, Printing and Stationery; and any other department not allotted to another minister — BJP — in office since 12 May 2026.
• Smt Ajanta Neog — Women and Child Development; Tourism — BJP — in office since 12 May 2026.
• Shri Atul Bora — Panchayat and Rural Development; Implementation of the Assam Accord; Border Protection and Development; Excise — AGP — in office since 12 May 2026.
• Shri Charan Boro — Welfare of Bodoland; Transport — BPF — in office since 12 May 2026.
• Shri Rameswar Teli — Transformation and Development; Labour Welfare; Tea Tribes and Adivasi Welfare — BJP — in office since 12 May 2026.
• Shri Ashwini Ray Sarkar — Social Justice and Empowerment; Soil Conservation; Welfare of Minorities and Development — BJP — in office since 5 June 2026.
• Shri Ashok Singhal — Health and Family Welfare; Medical Education and Research — BJP — in office since 5 June 2026.
• Shri Bimal Borah — Cultural Affairs; Industries, Commerce and Public Enterprises; Act East Policy Affairs — BJP — in office since 5 June 2026.
• Shri Biswajit Daimary — Handloom, Textiles and Sericulture; Sports and Youth Welfare; Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship; Indigenous and Tribal Faith and Culture — BJP — in office since 5 June 2026.
• Shri Jayanta Mallabaruah — Finance; Environment and Forest; Mines and Minerals — BJP — in office since 5 June 2026.
• Shri Kaushik Rai — Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs; Housing and Urban Affairs; Cooperation — BJP — in office since 5 June 2026.
• Shri Keshab Mahanta — Revenue and Disaster Management; Science, Technology and Climate Change; General Administration — AGP — in office since 5 June 2026.
• Shri Krishnendu Paul — Public Health Engineering; Hill Areas; Barak Valley Development — BJP — in office since 5 June 2026.
• Smt Nilima Devi — Animal Husbandry and Veterinary; Fishery — BJP — in office since 5 June 2026.
• Shri Pijush Hazarika — Agriculture; Irrigation; Parliamentary Affairs — BJP — in office since 5 June 2026.
• Dr Ranoj Pegu — School Education; Higher Education; Tribal Affairs (Plains); Information Technology — BJP — in office since 5 June 2026.
• Shri Susanta Borgohain — Water Resources; Judicial — BJP — in office since 5 June 2026.

(Sources: Government of Assam Chief Minister's Office notifications and portfolio allocation announcements, May–June 2026; cross-verified against contemporaneous reporting by Daily Pioneer and India TV News, 5 June 2026.)

HOW PORTFOLIOS ARE ALLOCATED: A SHORT EXPLAINER

Portfolio allocation in Assam follows the same convention used across Indian states. The Chief Minister decides which departments each minister will hold, taking into account factors such as regional representation, community balance, seniority, and administrative experience. This proposal is then formally submitted to the Governor of Assam, who approves it under Article 166 of the Constitution, after which the allocation becomes an official government notification.

In the 2026 council, this convention is visible in the regional and community spread: Barak Valley is represented through Kaushik Rai and Krishnendu Paul, Bodo community representation comes through Charan Boro and Biswajit Daimary, and the Hills region is represented through the Hill Areas portfolio held by Krishnendu Paul. This pattern of balanced representation is a recurring feature of Assam cabinet formation and is a useful analytical point for interview-stage candidates preparing for APSC CCE 2026.

REAL-WORLD RELEVANCE FOR EXAM PREPARATION

Portfolio-based questions appear in Assam GK sections in a predictable pattern: "Who is the current Finance Minister of Assam," "Which department does the Chief Minister hold personally," or "Name the minister in charge of School Education." Based on the confirmed 2026 allocation, Shri Jayanta Mallabaruah holds Finance, and Dr Ranoj Pegu holds School Education and Higher Education. Aspirants can reinforce recall of such names using the free daily mock tests section, which regularly rotates state-specific current affairs questions.

COMMON MISUNDERSTANDINGS

A frequent error among aspirants is assuming that the Assam cabinet was fully formed on 12 May 2026, the day the Chief Minister took oath. In fact, only four ministers were sworn in alongside the Chief Minister on that date; the remaining twelve were inducted three weeks later, on 5 June 2026, after the Governor returned from an official visit abroad.

Another common confusion is treating "Council of Ministers" and "Cabinet" as different bodies with different membership in Assam's current structure. At the state level, the terms are used interchangeably in official communication for this ministry, and all 16 ministers besides the Chief Minister hold full cabinet rank; there are no separate Ministers of State in the current Assam government as of the last-updated date above.

IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND EXAM ASPIRANTS

For APSC, ADRE, and other Assam-based exam aspirants, this reshuffle directly affects answer keys, mock test content, and interview preparation. Any GK material referencing the pre-2026-election cabinet — including names such as the previous Panchayat and Rural Development or Revenue and Disaster Management ministers — is now outdated and should not be used for revision. Aspirants revising the broader syllabus alongside this topic may find it useful to cross-check preparation material through the ADRE 2026 (ADRE 3.0) guide, which references current state administrative structure.

IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION

Cabinet portfolios can be reshuffled by the Chief Minister at any time during the five-year Assembly term, subject to the Governor's approval, and no fixed schedule governs such changes. The list in this article reflects the position as of 29 August 2026; readers preparing for an imminent exam should cross-check the Chief Minister of Assam's official website for any interim changes before finalising revision notes.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma began his second consecutive term as Chief Minister of Assam on 12 May 2026, heading a BJP-led NDA government.
• The current Council of Ministers has 17 members including the Chief Minister, finalised after a two-stage swearing-in on 12 May and 5 June 2026.
• Of 16 ministers besides the Chief Minister, 13 are from the BJP, 2 from the AGP, and 1 from the BPF.
• Shri Jayanta Mallabaruah is the current Finance Minister of Assam; Dr Ranoj Pegu holds School and Higher Education.
• The Chief Minister personally retains Home, Power, and both Public Works departments, along with any department not allotted to another minister.
• Portfolio allocation is approved by the Governor of Assam under Article 166 of the Constitution and can be revised at any time.
• Aspirants should always verify minister names and departments against the official Chief Minister's Office website closer to their exam date, given the possibility of reshuffles.

OFFICIAL SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• Government of Assam, Office of the Chief Minister — official portfolio notifications, May and June 2026.
• Election Commission of India — 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly election results.
• Raj Bhavan Assam — communication on approval of Council of Ministers portfolio allocation, 2026.
• Daily Pioneer and India TV News — contemporaneous reporting on the 5 June 2026 cabinet expansion.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q1. Who is the current Chief Minister of Assam in 2026?
rnA1. Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma is the current Chief Minister of Assam, having taken oath for his second consecutive term on 12 May 2026 (Source: Government of Assam, 12 May 2026).

Q2. How many ministers are there in the Assam Cabinet in 2026?
rnA2. The Assam Council of Ministers has 17 members including the Chief Minister, following the cabinet expansion on 5 June 2026 (Source: Government of Assam notification, 5 June 2026).

Q3. Who is the Finance Minister of Assam in 2026?
rnA3. Shri Jayanta Mallabaruah is the current Finance Minister of Assam, in office since 5 June 2026.

Q4. Who is the Education Minister of Assam?
rnA4. Dr Ranoj Pegu holds the School Education, Higher Education, Tribal Affairs (Plains), and Information Technology portfolios.

Q5. Which parties make up the current Assam government?
rnA5. The government is formed by the NDA alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and the Bodoland People's Front (BPF), which together won 102 of 126 seats in the 2026 Assam Assembly election.

Q6. Who holds the Home portfolio in Assam?
rnA6. Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma personally holds the Home and Political department.

Q7. When was the Assam cabinet expanded after the 2026 election?
rnA7. The cabinet was expanded on 5 June 2026, when 12 additional ministers were sworn in, following an initial group of 4 ministers who took oath with the Chief Minister on 12 May 2026.

Q8. Who are the women ministers in the current Assam Cabinet?
rnA8. Smt Ajanta Neog and Smt Nilima Devi are the two women members of the current Council of Ministers.

Q9. Who is the Health Minister of Assam in 2026?
rnA9. Shri Ashok Singhal holds the Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education and Research portfolios.

Q10. How are cabinet portfolios allocated in Assam?
rnA10. The Chief Minister proposes the department allocation for each minister, and the Governor of Assam formally approves it under Article 166 of the Constitution.

Q11. Who represents the Bodoland Territorial Region in the current Assam Cabinet?
rnA11. Shri Charan Boro of the BPF and Shri Biswajit Daimary of the BJP represent Bodo community interests through the Welfare of Bodoland and related portfolios.

Q12. Can Assam cabinet portfolios change before the next election?
rnA12. Yes, the Chief Minister can reshuffle portfolios at any time during the Assembly's five-year term with the Governor's approval, so aspirants should verify current details before an exam. Candidates can stay ahead of any such change through the latest job and exam updates section and by practising with the MCQ practice with 3000+ questions bank.