Woman who shattered glass ceiling

Nirmala Sitharaman has really shattered the glass ceiling by reaching where she is today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has surprised not only Dalal Street but also most of us by appointing her as the Finance Minister.

Remember, he had thrown a similar surprise in 2017 when he appointed her as the Defence minister.

Nirmala, with a master's degree in Economics and a doctorate in Indo-European Textile Trade, is the first woman Minister to hold these two portfolios after Indira Gandhi.

Surely, Nirmala Sitharaman's appointment must have raised eyebrows in the financial circles as many believed that the PM would give Finance to his party chief Amit Shah or Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who had held the portfolio briefly when then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was ailing.

Wonder whether this mega elevation - hand picking Nirmala - is a calculated risk, which the Prime Minister is willing to take? Will she be able to handle the Finance Ministry and produce results?

Unfortunately, she has taken over at a time when the economy is not in the best of health. Jobs and economy were the two important poll issues raised by the Opposition in the 2019 campaign. Nirmala Sitharaman's job is cut out for her and how far she succeeds depends on many factors.

Meghana A, Shell Cove, New South Wales