Arun Jaitley will return as Finance Minister after a three-month break for surgery, a statement from the President’s office said today.
Mr Jaitely, 65, stopped attending office in April for a renal transplant operation on May 14.
In his absence, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal held charge of his ministry, even as Mr Jaitley held video conferences with officials and addressed events remotely, prompting the opposition to ask who India’s finance minister was.
Mr Jaitley had earlier this month attended parliament to participating in the vote for the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
Mr Jaitley had a bariatric surgery soon after the BJP-led coalition came to power in 2014. The surgery was to treat weight gain that he suffered because of a long-standing diabetic condition, according to the Press Trust of India.
Mr Jaitley has been active on social media, from taking on opposition parties to writing on issues including cuts to the goods and services tax rates.
Mr Jaitley’s first-floor corner office in North Block has been renovated and sanitized so that the minister is protected against infection, according to reports.
