A report reveals that in the Gujarat Cabinet, only 12% of ministers are women.

Rivaba Ravindrasinh Jadeja, MLA from Gujarat's Jamnagar North and wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, is the wealthiest minister, with declared assets totalling ₹97.35 crore, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The report, based on self-sworn affidavits submitted by all 26 ministers, including the Chief Minister, highlights that 23 of them (88%) have assets exceeding ₹1 crore.

The average asset value among the ministers stands at ₹11.12 crore, with Rivaba Jadeja topping the list by a significant margin, reported ADR.

Who is Rivaba Jadeja?

Rivaba Jadeja, newly inducted into the Gujarat Cabinet, was born on 2 November 1990 in Rajkot. She hails from a Rajput family with royal roots and is related to veteran Congress leader Hari Singh Solanki.

Rivaba holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Gujarat Technological University in Ahmedabad. Beyond politics, she is known for her social work and founded the Shree Matrushakti Charitable Trust, an NGO dedicated to women's welfare and empowerment.

Rivaba won the Jamnagar North seat by defeating Aam Aadmi Party’s Karshanbhai Karmur, securing 23% of the vote share.

In August 2023, she was involved in a controversy after a public spat with two fellow BJP members during an event. Addressing the media afterwards, Rivaba explained that she was paying tributes barefoot when BJP MP Poonamben Maadam made a remark she found "insulting," which led to the confrontation, according to a report by the Hindustan Times.

Her elevation in the Gujarat Cabinet occurred during a major reshuffle, where Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister, a move widely seen as strategic ahead of the upcoming local body elections and the 2027 Assembly polls.

Who holds the lowest assets?

According to the ADR report based on self-sworn affidavits of Gujarat's 26 ministers, Jayrambhai Chemabhai Gamit from Nizar (ST) has declared the lowest assets, valued at ₹46.96 lakh.

On the liabilities front, 18 ministers reported outstanding dues, with Parshottambhai O. Solanki from Bhavnagar Rural declaring the highest liabilities at ₹8.93 crore.

Criminal charges

The report also sheds light on the criminal backgrounds of some cabinet members. It reveals that 5 ministers (19%) have declared criminal cases against themselves, with one of them facing a serious criminal charge.

Educational qualifications of ministers

The educational qualifications of the ministers vary widely. While 16 ministers (62%) have attained a graduate degree or higher, 6 ministers (23%) have studied only up to the 8th or 12th standard, and 4 ministers hold diplomas.

Age distribution within the cabinet shows that 10 ministers (38%) are between 31 and 50 years old, while 15 ministers (58%) fall in the 51–70 age group. One minister is 71 years old.

The report also notes that only 3 out of the 26 ministers (12%) in the cabinet are women.